


Complicating Factors

by bransch



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Captain Swan - Freeform, Drama, F/M, Romance, no magic, young henry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-13
Updated: 2018-05-18
Packaged: 2019-04-21 19:01:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 93,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14291373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bransch/pseuds/bransch
Summary: Emma Swan is a single mother trying to contact her ex and father of her child, Neal Cassidy. While she expected some awkwardness when meeting Neal’s mother, Milah Gold, she never expected the undeniable attraction she feels toward Milah’s younger boyfriend, Killian Jones.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my work in progress fic that I have been writing and posting on Tumblr and that other fanfic site. This came about when I was trying to explain the complicated Charming Family Tree to my husband and how Milah fit into it. It got me thinking "How would this work in a world without magic?" and from that this story was born.
> 
> It has been a challenge at times, but I have really enjoyed writing it, and I hope you enjoy the fruits of my labors.

“Swan!”

  
Emma jumped when she heard her friend Mu call out her name. She had been lost in thought as she sat at her desk, having a slow day. She had started working at Grumpy’s Bail Bonds nearly two years ago, and spent most of her time doing administrative work: helping with contracts, filing, and managing the books. Working at a bail bonds agency had a lot less excitement than what was portrayed on TV.

  
‘Mu’ was short for Mulan, but she hated using her full name, thanks to her Disney counterpart. Mu liked to remind everyone that she was born a full 8 years before that movie came out and was named after the legendary Chinese warrior, not a Disney Princess. The woman was a few years older than Emma, her features reflecting her Chinese heritage, and enhanced by her purple hair and tattoos. Mu’s short stature did nothing to reduce the intimidating air she gave off as she leveled her gaze at Emma now.

  
“I figured you were wearing earbuds by the way you ignored me,” Mu said.

  
“Sorry,” Emma replied. “I guess I got lost in thought. I was thinking about how dull this job is compared to what we see on TV shows.”

“Well, that’s because you haven’t been out with me to chase a skip yet. But that’s all about to change. You have a date tonight.”

  
“What?” Emma asked, confused.

  
“This one likes hook ups. His history showed he likes blondes, so I put your pic up on Tinder. He wants to meet you tonight.”

  
“You used my picture as bait?!”

  
“Relax!” Mu said. “I’ll be there the whole time. You only have to go in and keep him occupied. I’ll come up and cuff him from behind. Do you have anything slutty to wear?”

  
Emma was flabbergasted. “I don’t know about this, Mu.”

  
“Come on Emma! You need to learn how to do this sooner or later. The payout is way better than desk duty. I’ll split tonight’s take with you 50/50 if that will make you feel better.”

  
Emma was uneasy with this plan, but Mu was right that she would need to learn this sooner or later. It had been hard to find a decent-paying job after her stint in jail, and she needed to start picking up skips if she ever hoped to have enough money to give her four-year-old son, Henry, the life she felt he deserved. She took a deep breath and said “okay.”

  
“Great!” Mu said. “Do you need me to see if Aurora can watch Henry?” Aurora was Mu’s girlfriend. They met in college, finding an immediate connection through their Princess-style names.

  
“Maybe,” Emma replied. “Let me see if Regina can get him first. He’s already got things over there and he and Roland are like brothers.”

  
Emma’s time in jail came after she was arrested for cocaine possession. She and her boyfriend at the time, Neal, had never done anything more extreme than some underage drinking and pot smoking, and even those cases were very rare. Emma hated the feeling of being out of control, and tended to stay away from drugs for that reason alone. She had no idea that Neal was dealing. Unknown to her, he’d hidden some of his stash inside her suitcase. He disappeared two days before the cops came to search the apartment. After their search, they’d asked Emma to identify if the suitcase was hers, and she stupidly did. They arrested her and pumped her for information about the supplier. Though she didn’t know anything, she was sentenced to two years with credit for time served. She’d learned of her pregnancy shortly after her arrest. Unable to contact Neal, and having no family to speak of at the time, she’d had no choice but to let her son go into the foster system until she could finish her sentence. She was extremely reluctant for her son to be a foster child, remembering her own bad experiences, and she begged the Social Worker to find a good situation for him. He’d been placed with Regina, and lived the first two years of his life with her, until Emma was released, able to get a job, and set up a stable home.

  
After being reunited with her son, Emma realized she had no help. Regina offered to step in for Henry’s sake. Regina was…prickly, to put it lightly, but she did truly love Henry. She and Emma were slowly starting to build a good relationship. It helped that Regina had recently married Rob, a man she met when Henry and Rob’s son, Roland, were in daycare together. Rob was a widower whose wife died in childbirth. He and Regina began dating when the kids were a little older than two, and just married in a small ceremony about 6 months ago. Emma liked Rob, and though they were only a little more than 10 years older than her, in their mid-30s, Emma looked up to Regina and Rob as her surrogate parents.

  
Henry and Roland were very close in age and greatly enjoyed each other’s company. They still attended the same daycare and had playdates nearly every weekend. It was not uncommon for Henry to spend the night at Regina’s, though Emma usually did nothing with those free nights but sit around her small apartment and binge watch shows on Netflix.

  
She picked up the phone to call Regina and explained the situation. Regina said she was happy to help, and offered to let Henry sleep at her house and drop him off at daycare in the morning. Emma was grateful and said she would call to talk to Henry before the boys’ bedtime.

  
With that out of the way, she returned to the situation of what to wear on her date. She didn’t have anything slutty to wear, so Mu decided they needed to go shopping.

  
“I don’t really have the money for a dress,” Emma said.

  
“No worries,” Mu replied. “I’ll put it on my credit card. I’d consider this a work-related expense.”

  
Emma knew better than to protest. She figured that whatever dress she got would definitely not be worn again unless they had another job like this one, so it was justified as work-related expense.

  
A few hours later, Emma stood in the back of the office, wearing a skin tight pink dress and black heels that were higher than any she’d worn before. In addition to buying the dress and shoes, Mu had dragged her to a salon for a blowout, which left her long hair hanging in soft waves down her shoulders. They’d finished the transformation by Mu dragging her to an empty office that served as a break room, saying it had the best lighting, in order to apply makeup. Emma had never worn this much makeup in her life. Her green eyes were rimmed with black liner in a cat eye shape that was just thin enough to not be garish. Her lips were accentuated with a soft pink color that emphasized their shape and made her face glow. As she looked in the mirror Mu held up, Emma couldn’t help but feel pretty.

  
“Hot,” Mu said. “I’d bang you if I were single.”

  
Emma blushed involuntarily. “Thanks for the compliment,” she said with sarcasm.

  
“Remind me when we get there to take a few pictures of you before we catch the guy. It will be useful if we need to pull this Tinder sting again.”

  
They headed out to Emma’s car, an old, yellow VW Beetle and the only thing Neal knowingly ever gave her. She was surprised she got to keep it once she was released from jail. She and Neal met when she was attempting to steal the Bug, which he’d already stolen. He must have gotten a clean VIN for the car, because when she got out, the keys were returned to her. Despite the bad memories from Neal, Emma loved this car. It probably wasn’t the best family car, but it was reliable and had been a huge help when she was trying to rebuild her life.

  
Once at the restaurant, Mu and Emma reviewed the plan one final time and headed inside. Mu wore a beanie over her purple hair, and kept her distance several paces behind Emma. Emma spotted her target at the bar and walked over to him.

  
“Hi,” she said, putting on her most charming smile. “Are you Jack?”

  
“Yes,” he replied, returning her smile. “You must be Emma. I have to say, I’m somewhat relieved.”

  
“What?” she said demurely. “You thought I lied on the app?”

  
“Well, truth be told, your profile pic doesn’t do you justice.”

  
She put her hand on his arm and leaned in a bit closer. “Same to you.”

  
He winked at her, and Emma felt a rush of adrenaline. This was actually kind of fun. She continued to talk with Jack while they ordered drinks. The plan was for her to maneuver him to a secluded corner table that Mu picked when she scouted out the place, but Jack was proving resistant to moving from the bar. He seemed to want to show Emma off to the other men there, which made her want to scoff in disgust.

  
When Jack turned away to order more drinks, she let her eyes wander around. They landed on a man across the bar who was almost too good looking to be real. He had dark hair and lightly tanned skin. A scar was on his right cheek, just above the dusting of a copper-tinted beard along his jaw. Even in the dim lighting, she could see that his eyes were a brilliant blue. Though he was sitting, she could tell he was tall and muscular, and his body language exuded confidence. He met her eyes and held her gaze, raising his right eyebrow in a curious gesture. She had to stop herself from responding with a smile, remembering that she was supposed to be here with Jack. Tearing her eyes from the delicious-looking man, she refocused on Jack, who thankfully had not noticed her distraction.

  
Eventually she got Jack into the corner, and Mu came up and cuffed him, just as they planned. Mu told Emma that it would be better if she took Jack to the police station in the Bug and then came back for her. Emma agreed and wandered over to the bar. She was perusing the menu for something to eat when she felt someone walk up behind her.

  
“That was not how I expected your evening to end, love.”

  
A shiver ran down her spine and she turned to see Captain Delicious. In addition to his amazing looks, he had one of the sexiest accents she’d ever heard. She tried her best to school her features and not give away her attraction.

  
“Well,” she began, “I like defying expectations.”

  
He smiled, and his whole face lit up. He gestured to the empty stool next to her. “May I?” She inclined her head and he sat down.

  
“So,” he said, “were you in on that performance?”

  
“Yes. I work with the woman who took him away. She’s my friend and she’s training me.”

  
“You work as a bail bondsman?”

  
“Bondsperson,” she corrected. “It’s not official yet. Mu just started teaching me how to catch skips. Most of my days are spent at the office doing admin work.”

  
“I see. Could you tell me your name? Or would that blow your cover?”

  
She smiled. “Emma. Emma Swan.”

  
He extended his hand and she took it. As they shook hands he said, “Killian Jones, at your service.”

  
“It’s nice to meet you, Killian.”

  
“And you, Emma.”

  
“So, Killian, what do you do to earn a living?”

  
“I’m a professor. I teach History at Storybrooke U.”

  
“Interesting,” she said, dragging the word out. “How long have you been doing that?”

  
“Well, in my younger days, I was in the Royal Navy. But I never saw myself as a career soldier, so when my time was up, I got out. I spent some time traveling with my brother, and we went diving on shipwrecks. I started a blog about our travels, which turned into a book deal. Then I took the money from that, went back to school, and many, many years later, ended up with my PhD in History. My specialty is Maritime History, but I mostly teach World History now.”

  
“A PhD? So you’re actually Dr. Jones?”

  
He laughed. “Only to my students.”

  
Their conversation continued, and Emma found herself truly enjoying the exchange. All too soon they were interrupted by Killian’s phone ringing. He looked at the screen, frowned, and silenced the ringer.

  
“Apologies, love. I need to make my exit. I unfortunately need to go have an unpleasant conversation.”

  
“Is everything alright?”

  
“Nothing dire. I just need to go talk to my sometimes girlfriend. She’s been a bit hot and cold lately.”

  
Emma’s heart sank a little. Of course a gorgeous guy like him would have a girlfriend. She put on a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes as she extended her hand and said “It was really nice meeting you, Killian.”

  
“You too, Emma. I hope I can see you again. Do you come to this bar often?”

  
She shook her head from side to side. “This is my first time here.”

  
He fished out his wallet and placed one of his business cards on the bar in front of hers. “Well, if I can ever do anything for you, please reach out to me.”

  
“Thanks,” she said, unable to hide her disappointment at his departure.  
He put a hand on her shoulder and winked at her. Even that innocent touch was enough to fan the flame inside. He seemed to realize this, smirking as he walked away without another word. His arrogance helped her move beyond her attraction, and she scoffed out loud.

  
She put his card in her purse, finished her drink, and closed out her tab. When she stood to leave, Mu was there with a happy look on her face.

  
“All done!” she said. “Leroy will get you your cut tomorrow. Let’s head back to the office so I can get my car. I need a hot shower.”

  
“Sounds great,” Emma said, following her friend out of the bar.

* * *

The next day started well, with Emma collecting her payout and finding herself $500 richer. She was tempted to spend it all on something frivolous, but she decided it would be better to save it. Nearly all of it went to her savings account, but she did set aside $50 to take Henry to do something fun that weekend.

  
After that she quickly finished the paperwork she had waiting, and gave a client a ride to court. When she got back it was lunch time and she was out of things to do. Mu wa in, so Emma decided to work on her personal project: trying to track down Neal.

  
Emma would be perfectly happy if she never saw Neal again, but she knew that wasn’t fair to Henry. He was starting to ask questions about his father. Emma had considered lying and saving her son some pain, but Regina counseled her against it. After considering Regina’s advice, Emma had told Henry that she didn’t know where his father was, but that she would do everything she could to find him so they could meet.

  
The trouble was, Neal Cassidy was hard to find. There was no record of him in Boston. It was a somewhat common name, but every lead she tracked down was a bust. After a while, she started to lose hope. Luckily, her friend David, a police detective, offered his services to help.

  
Emma met David through his wife, Mary Margaret, a teacher at Henry’s daycare. Mary Margaret was quite possibly the most upbeat person Emma had ever met, but she was so genuine that you couldn’t help but like her. David was not quite as chipper as his wife, but still annoyingly positive. They were good people, and Emma was happy to have their help. She hadn’t heard from him lately, but still felt it couldn’t hurt to call.

  
“David Nolan,” he answered when she called his cell.

  
“Have you still not saved my number in your phone, Dave? Or are you just messing with me?”

  
“Nope, still haven’t saved it. I like the mystery of not knowing who’s calling me.”

  
“You’re weird,” Emma replied.

  
“I’m glad you called. I was meaning to call you. I got a lead on your project.”

  
“You did?” Emma was cautious. She’d run into so many dead ends in this search.

  
“Yeah. I came across some arrest records from about 15 years ago. A kid gave the name Neal Cassidy at arrest, but his real name was Neal Gold.”

  
“Of course!” She exclaimed. “He gave me a fake name. I’ll add that to the list of lies he told me.”

  
“Well, the trail runs cold there, but he was picked up by a woman named Milah Gold. She was listed as his mother.“

  
"Milah Gold…I’ll look her up. Maybe I can find her and get to Neal that way. Thanks Dave!”

  
“Happy to help. Oh, and Mary Margaret mentioned having you and Henry over for dinner Friday night. You in?”

  
“Sure. I’ll let her know when I pick up Henry this afternoon.”

  
“Great. See you then, Emma.”

  
Emma hung up feeling refreshed. She began searching for more information about Milah Gold, and the search was immediately fruitful. Milah owned a small boutique in a trendy part of town that sold vintage clothes. Emma decided to pay the boutique a visit that afternoon, before she lost her nerve.

  
She parked a few blocks down from the boutique, in the first open spot she found. Taking a deep breath, she began to walk to the store. Unfortunately, she wasn’t paying attention where she was going and ran right into a man carrying two cups of coffee, which were spilled all over her white shirt.

  
“Fuck!” She cried out. The coffee wasn’t too hot, thankfully, but it stained her shirt and her bra was now clearly visible under the wet fabric. She looked up, ready to chew out the offender, when she recognized his blue eyes.

  
“Emma?” He asked before she could say anything.

  
“Killian…hi,” she replied, giving him an awkward smile.

  
“I didn’t expect to see you here.”

  
“I could say the same.”

  
“I’m here to-” he started, but was interrupted by the shop door opening and a stunningly beautiful woman with flowing brown hair stepping out. She was taller than Emma, and looked to be somewhere in her 40’s. 

  
“Killian?” The brunette asked. “Is everything alright?”

  
“Milah,” he replied. “I’m afraid there was a bit of a mishap with our coffees.” He pointed to Emma.

  
“Oh no!” Milah replied, taking in Emma’s soaked shirt. “Come inside dear. I am sure I can find you something to replace the shirt my boyfriend so haphazardly ruined.”

  
It took Emma a moment to connect the dots. “Milah?” She asked. “Milah Gold?”

  
Milah stopped and stared at Emma. “Yes…and you are…?” Her tone was wary, but not unkind.

  
Killian stepped in. “This is Emma Swan.”

  
“You know each other?” Milah asked. “Are you one of Killian’s students?”

  
“Um…no,” began Emma. She remembered Killian mentioning there was some tension with his girlfriend, and she chose to take his lead on this.

  
“Emma and I met the other night at Tony’s. She had some trouble with her date.”

  
Milah smiled, but there was definitely some jealousy there. “Always the gentleman.”

  
Milah pulled Emma inside and found a shirt for her. She led the younger woman to the changing room and Emma gratefully replaced her shirt with the much nicer sweater. She tried to pay Milah for the item, but Milah refused, saying she would put it on Killian’s tab.

  
“So,” she said after Emma was cleaned up. “What brings you here?”

  
Emma sucked in her breath. This was awkward, but she would not back down. She hated disappointing her son.

  
“Do you have a son, Neal?”

  
“Yes…” Milah said.

  
“He and I used to date. I haven’t heard from him in almost five years, but I really need to talk to him.”

  
“Why?”

  
“Well, you see, he and I have a son together. Neal doesn’t know about Henry. I want my son to have the chance to meet his father.”

  
“Neal has a son?” Milah asked. “You mean to tell me that I’m a grandmother?”

  
“It would appear so,” Emma responded. She took out her phone and showed Milah a picture of Henry.

  
“Oh,” Milah replied. “He looks just like Neal did as a boy.”

  
“Do you know where I can find Neal?”

  
“I’m sorry, no. I haven’t spoken to my son in ten years. We’re not on the best terms. Maybe Robert can help.”

  
"Robert?”

  
“My ex-husband.” Milah replied. “He’s a lawyer, but he also teaches at Storybrooke U.”

  
“With Killian?”

  
“Different department, love,” Killian chimed in. “He teaches contract law.”

  
Milah seemed to have forgotten Killian was there. She stepped closer to her boyfriend and looped her arm with his in a clearly possessive gesture.

  
“I don’t like talking to my ex, but I agree that Neal should know he has a child. I’ll reach out to Robert. Could you come by again on Saturday, maybe around 10? I should have an answer then. And maybe you could bring my grandson? I’d love to meet him.”

  
Emma was unsure, but decided to continue on this path. Milah was obviously insecure about her relationship, but she figured it couldn’t hurt for Henry to get to know another family member.

  
“Okay,” she said. “We can do that.”

  
“Great!” Milah said. She picked up a business card from the holder by the register and circled her cell phone number. “Call me if anything changes. I can’t wait to meet Henry!”

  
Despite Milah’s territorial behavior, Emma could see she was truly was excited about meeting Henry. She gave Milah a warm smile and said goodbye. Just then a customer came through the door, carrying a box of clothes. Milah indicated this was a client who was selling some pieces, and asked Killian if he would go get new coffees for them. They gave each other a chaste kiss and Killian followed Emma out the door.

  
Killian and Emma stood awkwardly looking at one another, just outside the store’s entrance. He began nervously scratching behind his ear before saying “she’s a good woman, Milah is. She’s had a hard go of it, but she’s got a good heart.”

  
“Good to know,” Emma said. Even now she couldn’t shake the attraction she felt toward this man. He now had his hands in his pockets, the muscles of his forearms flexing as they peeked out from his rolled up shirt sleeves. She caught herself staring a moment too late, and looked up to see him with that damn eyebrow cocked up again.

  
“I have to go,” she said as she felt her cheeks turn crimson. “See you around Killian.”

  
“You too, Swan.”

  
Emma got in her car and berated herself. What was she doing? This man was dating a woman she’d just learned was her son’s grandma. Was she really lusting after a man who was, for all intents and purposes, Henry’s step-grandfather?


	2. Chapter 2

Emma left the boutique and headed to pick up Henry. After not seeing her son for more than a day, she was almost as excited as he was at pickup. He ran up to her and leapt into her arms, giving her a big hug. Emma treasured these moments, knowing he wouldn’t be little forever.

Mary Margaret walked up to Emma and Henry with a smile. “Looks like some little boy is happy to see his mommy.”

Emma smiled and looked at Henry. “Do you know who she could be talking about?”

“Me!” Henry wore a big grin as he said this.

Emma gave him a kiss on the cheek and set him down on the ground. “You are getting too big to be held, kid.”

“David told me he talked to you,” Mary Margaret said. “So we’ll see you Friday night for dinner?”

“Yep,” replied Emma. “What can I bring?”

“Nothing. Just two of my favorite people.”

They had this conversation every time she was invited over, so instead of arguing, Emma gave Mary Margaret a hug and gathered Henry’s backpack. “Come on, kid. Let’s go home.”

Back at the apartment, Emma started on dinner, making spaghetti, Henry’s favorite meal. She had just started boiling water for the noodles when she heard a knock at the door. Looking through the peephole, she saw her neighbor, Ruby, standing outside. She opened the door and let her in.

Ruby was not only a neighbor, but also Emma’s best friend. She was effervescent and one of the most caring and generous people Emma knew. She was also incredibly fun to be around, often saying things that others wouldn’t. Ruby had no filter, and Emma loved her honesty.

Ruby had brown hair that fell long down her back. Her eyes were a bright greenish-hazel, and she was perhaps one of the most beautiful women Emma had ever seen, with porcelain skin and an elegant, tall figure. Her fashion sense was impeccable, and she was always pressing Emma to dress more boldly.

Emma and Ruby hugged, and Henry ran up crying “Aunt Ruby!” as he jumped into her arms.

After they settled, Emma resumed preparing dinner, and Ruby sat at the small dining set just off the narrow kitchen. Henry returned to the living room, where he was playing with play dough on the coffee table.

“So,” Ruby began, “I couldn’t help but notice that you came back later than usual last night, and dressed to the nines. Did you have a date?”

Emma laughed. “I wasn’t aware you were stalking me.”

Ruby blushed. “Well, not me, but I heard from Mrs. Roberts across the hall. You know how nosy she can be. But you still need to answer me. Were you on a date?”

“Sort of. Mu put my picture up on Tinder to catch a skip. She had me meet him at a bar and keep him occupied until she felt the time was right.”

“Oh.” Ruby said, her tone deflated. “I was really hoping you might have met someone.”

“I don’t date. You know this. I did meet a gorgeous guy at the bar, but he’s taken.”

“Do you know that for sure?”

“Yes,” Emma said with a sigh.

“Hmm…” Ruby said, looking at Emma quizzically. “There’s more to this story. Go on. Spill.”

Emma told Ruby how she met Killian and their enjoyable, but brief conversation. When Ruby heard his profession, she made Emma pause so she could look him up on her phone. She found his faculty profile and fawned over the headshot adorning the page.

“Ding dong! He is gorgeous. And he’s British?”

“Yes,” Emma replied, “but you haven’t heard the rest of the story.” She proceeded to tell Ruby about her encounter with Killian that afternoon, and how he was dating Neal’s mother. She did not say the word ‘Grandma’ yet, and asked Ruby to do the same, as she was still trying to determine how to explain this to Henry.

“Wow,” Ruby said. “Well, it’s a shame he is taken, but major respect to Milah. I’ve got nothing but love for an older woman dating a hot, younger man. I can only hope I will be as successful in my middle age.”

Emma couldn’t help but laugh at Ruby’s comment. “I think you’d like her. She’s possessive of Killian, but in all other ways seems like a nice enough person. She’s really excited about meeting Henry. I’m still not sure about it, though. I hardly know anything about her. What if she breaks his heart?”

“So maybe you don’t tell him at first that she’s Neal’s mother? Just introduce her as you would a friend. See how they get along.”

“Maybe,” Emma said, turning the suggestion over in her mind.

“I don’t think it’s ever a bad idea for a kid to have more people in their life to love them.”

“Killian said she’s a good person, but, then again, I barely know him.”

“Yeah, but you feel like you can trust him. In fact, I think there a quite a few things you’d like to feel with him.”

Emma blushed as she heard the innuendo. “Don’t encourage me, Ruby! I don’t need to be feeding my attraction to this man.”

“I did nothing of the sort,” Ruby said with a smirk.

* * *

“Bloody bastard!”

Killian paused as he heard Milah’s exclamation from inside their apartment. He stood at the door, not sure what kind of situation he was walking into. He and Milah had more than their share of rows in the ten years they’d been together, and he wasn’t eager for another. He’d almost decided turn around and leave again, when she flung the door open from inside.

“There you are!” He felt relief when he heard her tone. She was angry, but it was not directed at him.

“Aye,” he said, stepping into the apartment closing the door behind him. “I heard your curse from the hallway. Are you alright?”

“Yes,” she sighed. “I just tried calling Robert. I told him I needed to find Neal, and he went on a tirade about how I drove our son away and that I never deserved to see him again. I didn’t even get a chance to tell him about Henry.” She choked on her last words as her tears poured forth.

Her tears prompted Killian to pull her into his arms and rub her back soothingly. “Well, Robert is a bloody bastard. You and I both know that the rift between you two began long before I came into the picture. Neal told me as much. If Robert hadn’t been such a controlling jerk, things might have been different.”

“But I didn’t help things, behaving the way I did. Taking up with my son’s friend, behind my husband’s back. Maybe this is my fault.”

Killian sighed. This was her constant torment. She blamed herself for Neal’s disappearance. She said she did not regret meeting Killian or their relationship, but the love they shared was always warring with her desire to see her son again.

“No, love,” he said. “It is not your fault. Neal was an adult when he made his choice. And Robert was a cruel father and husband. Leaving him was the best thing you could do for yourself. Look at the life you have built now. You have a successful shop, you’re healthier than you’ve ever been, and you have a roguishly handsome boyfriend.” He looked down at her and gave her a wink.

She gave a small laugh through her tears. “You should be with someone like her. Not an old woman past her prime.”

He knew she meant Emma. Milah wasn’t dumb. She saw the way Killian and Emma looked at one another. Although he couldn’t deny the attraction he felt to the young blonde, his heart only belonged to Milah.

“You, darling,” he said as he moved his hand to cup her cheek, “are the farthest thing from old. You are brilliant and vivacious and I love you completely.” He punctuated this point by giving her a gentle kiss before pulling away to look in her eyes.

The look on Milah’s face showed that she was not ready to let this topic go. “I’m 51, Killian. I’m not having any more kids. In fact, as we found out yesterday, I am a grandmother. You should be with someone who can give you children.” She pulled away from his embrace and crossed the room. “I know you’re attracted to Emma. She could give you the family you’ve always wanted.”

“I only just met the lass. And now you’re trying to push me to have children with her?!” His muscles tensed, ready for the inevitable argument. “Why do you always feel like you’re not good enough for me?”

“Because I’m not!” She yelled. “You say you’re content with just me, but I see the look you get when we see a cute child. You want children of your own someday, and you won’t get that with me. And now there’s going to be an adorable grandson in my life, which will only make me feel guiltier that I can’t give that to you.”

“Please, Milah, don’t do this. I only want you. You are the love of my life. When I met you, my life began.”

She sighed. “I’m sorry. Let’s not fight.” She’d conceded this time, but Killian knew she was not agreeing with him. This was the recurring theme to their arguments. He felt like he would never be able to convince her that she was all he needed. Her self-loathing would be their undoing.

* * *

On Friday morning, Emma dropped Henry off at school and headed to work. She was greeted by Mu and their boss, Leroy. Leroy was the owner of Grumpy’s Bail Bonds. He’d named the company after a nickname he’d earned as a child, due to his sullen temper. But anyone who really knew Leroy saw that, underneath his rough exterior, he was a kind man who looked out for those he cared for. This morning, however, he was fully living up to his moniker.

“About time you got here, sister,” he said in lieu of a greeting.

“It’s 15 minutes before we open. I wasn’t aware I needed to arrive any earlier than that.”

“You don’t, but I need to talk to you, and you know how I hate waiting.”

“My apologies,” she said as she tucked her purse away in her desk drawer. “What’s going on?”

“Grumpy here wants to yell at us for being too good at our jobs,” Mu said, handing Emma a mug of coffee.

Emma took in the smell of the strong brew. “OK Leroy, shoot. What’s got you riled up today?”

Leroy’s face took on a semblance of a smile. Both Emma and Mu knew that he preferred people who wouldn’t cower at his gruff manner. “Princess over there is right,” he replied. “You two are good at your jobs. That Tinder sting you set up the other night was brilliant. You caught a guy that would have given even some of my toughest agents the slip, and you did it with very little mess.”

“Hey!” Mu protested. “Don’t call me Princess. And I’m your toughest agent, we both know this.”

“You got me, sister, you’re a tough one. And blondie here looks like she might give you a run for your money.”

“So what’s the problem?” Emma asked.

“The problem is that I can’t have you writing up contracts and being up front if you’re gonna be doing jobs like that. You girls got lucky with this Jack guy, but most skips are smarter than him and will know not to hit on the girl who works for the company they’re hiding out from.”

“So what are you saying?”

“I’m saying that, effective immediately, you are promoted to bond agent. Don’t sit up front anymore. Take Mu’s office for now, and start looking for a new admin.”

“What kind of salary is this new job gonna pay?”

“You work on commission now, sister. But I’ll keep you on the payroll as my admin part time, until you get a good rhythm. I know you’ve got your boy to look after. But find someone as good as you to pick up the slack the rest of the time.”

Emma was both excited and anxious about this change of events. She grabbed her purse and the few things she kept at her desk and moved them to the office Mu used occasionally. Mu followed her, carrying the mug of coffee she had given Emma earlier.

“Alright! Drink up, because we have some work to do. I’ll stick with you for the first couple of cases, but you’ll be out on your own before you know it.”

“You know, I never was much of a fan of coffee. I love the smell, but hate the taste. And I think maybe my new job requires something a little more celebratory. Let’s go get a hot cocoa.”

Mu laughed at her friend. “You can have your hot cocoa with cinnamon. I’ll stick with black coffee.” She took the mug back from Emma and drank the now tepid brew in one gulp. “Come on. You’re buying my next one.”

* * *

After his fight with Milah Thursday night, Killian slept on the couch, which left a painful crick in his neck Friday morning. He didn’t have class on Fridays, but he’d arranged to meet with one of his graduate students, Krista, to discuss her thesis. She worked at a coffee shop downtown, and had emailed the night before to ask if he would be willing to meet her there before her shift began. He occupied a table near the door, waiting for her to arrive, and thumbed through his emails.

Hearing the bell above the door, he looked up to see if Krista had arrived. It was not Krista he saw, but instead Emma Swan. The accusations Milah and thrown at him the night before came flooding back when he saw Emma. She was undoubtedly beautiful, but there was something else about her. A vibrancy that hid behind the high walls she had built for herself. He realized with a start that he saw the same things in Milah when they first met. He felt like a cad at that thought. Was he no better than this, that he would toss her away for a younger woman?

Lost in thought, he wasn’t aware he was staring until someone spoke to him. It was not Swan, but rather her companion, a young Asian woman who managed to look very intimidating despite her short stature.

“Hey buddy,” she said. “What’s with the staring at my friend? I know she’s hot, but gawking is one of her turn offs.”

Emma blushed, her cheeks turning a delicate pink. Killian couldn’t help thinking how lovely she looked when she did that.

“Mu, give him a break,” she said. “I know him, sort of. This is Killian Jones.”

“Oh, well that changes things.” Mu extended her hand. “How you doing? I’m Mu.”

Killian gave her hand a shake, noting her firm grip. “Mu? That’s unusual.”

“Don’t get her started,” Emma chuckled. “What brings you to this part of town? We’re not near the university or Milah’s shop.”

“I’m actually meeting a student. She works here, and asked me to meet her before her shift to discuss her thesis. I was promised free coffee, but she appears to be running late.”

“I don’t know if I’d trust you around coffee,” Emma quipped.

“I am not normally so clumsy, I assure you.”

Killian noticed Mu looking at him skeptically. “It was nice to meet you, British guy, but we need to get our drinks and get back to work. Lots to do today.”

“Of course,” he replied. “Nice to meet you as well. See you later, Swan.”

Emma said nothing, but gave him a tight smile as she turned to pick up her drink from the counter. Her behavior at their parting puzzled Killian exceedingly. Did she realize how he felt about her? Did she perhaps feel the same way? Despite his better judgement, he couldn’t help but feel pleased at the thought that he was not the only one feeling this attraction. He sighed. He needed to get this woman out of his head. He had no desire to be unfaithful to Milah, no matter how she may try to push him away.

* * *

Saturday morning came sooner than Emma would have liked. She’d spent Friday evening with Mary Margaret and David trying to figure out how to tell Henry who Milah was. They agreed with Ruby’s suggestion of not telling Henry right away that Milah was his grandma. The plan made Emma uneasy, however. After her rough childhood and all the lies Neal told her, she detested lying to anyone, even through omission.

But, it was still the best option, so while Henry was watching his cartoons and eating his cereal, Emma stepped into her room and called Milah.

 _“Hello,”_ Milah said.

“Milah, hi. This is Emma Swan.”

 _“Yes, Emma. Are you and Henry still going to be able to come by today?”_  Milah’s tone betrayed her anxiety.

“Yes, we are still planning on it, but I was hoping to talk with you about that.”

_“Sure.”_

“Would you be upset if we went slow and didn’t tell Henry right away that you’re his grandma? Maybe just introduce you as Milah for now and see how you get along?”

Emma heard Milah take a deep breath.  _“OK,”_ she said.  _“I get it. You don’t know me, and even though you haven’t told me the whole story, I get the impression that my son hurt you badly. If it makes you more comfortable, I’m glad to do it.”_

“Thank you.” Emma’s voice resounded with relief.

_“Perhaps some other time you and I should have dinner just the two of us and we can talk a little more about Neal. I think we both have stories to share.”_

“I’d like that.”

_“I need to go, dear. I have to get down to the shop. See you at 10?”_

“Yes, we’ll be there.”

 _“Great, see you then,”_  Milah said and then hung up.

* * *

Killian walked over to Milah after she hung up. She seemed tense, attempting to restrain her feelings.

“Love?” He asked, tentatively.

“She doesn’t want to tell him I’m his grandma. Not right away.” Her eyes were cloudy with unshed tears.

“That… that doesn’t seem like a very unreasonable request.”

“It’s not.”

“Then what’s got you upset?”

“I can’t help thinking that this is all my fault. Emma finding me has brought back the guilt over Neal that I’ve repressed all these years.”

“Milah, love… you can’t shoulder all the blame.”

“No! You don’t get to tell me that. If I hadn’t been so weak, maybe Neal wouldn’t have run off. Maybe I would have been a part of his life when he met Emma. I could have helped care for Henry when he was a baby.”

“If circumstances were different, I very much doubt Neal would ever have met Emma.”

She sniffled. “I suppose you’re right. I just wish I knew what he did to her. And I wish I could get in touch with him.”

“Well, if you’ve had no luck with Robert, perhaps I should pay him a visit.”

Milah laughed at that thought. “Don’t you dare. He’s liable to rip your heart from your chest if you go near him. You know Robert is not a forgiving man.”

“Aye, but if it would save you some pain, I’d gladly suffer the consequences.”

“You’re a good man, Killian Jones.”

“If you say so, love.” He pocketed his wallet and grabbed his keys. “Well, I best be off. I need to take your car in for service. After that I’ll head over to campus and do some grading. Stay out of your hair.”

“What? You aren’t going to be there with me?”

“I wasn’t planning on it. It’s not really my place.”

“Please, Killian, I need you there. I need you to support me. And I am afraid things will be awkward with Emma if you’re not there.”

 _Not as awkward as if I am there,_ Killian thought, but he did not voice that opinion. “If you truly feel you need me, love, I will be there. But I do need to take your car in for service.”

“OK, do that and then come back, please. I’ll text you and let you know where we’ll be.”

He put his arm around her waist and gave her a chaste kiss on the forehead. “I will see you soon.”

* * *

At 10:00, Emma parked the bug outside of the shop. She told Henry they were going to have lunch with a new friend of hers. Despite his young age, Henry loved spending time with adults, and he was excited to meet a new friend. Emma helped him unbuckle and climb out of his car seat. They walked in the shop, Emma keeping a tight grasp on her son’s hand, worried he might break something.

Milah spotted them from behind the counter as she was speaking to one of her employees. She smiled and walked over.

Emma smiled down at Henry and said “Henry, this is my friend, Milah.”

“Hi,” Henry responded in a quiet voice.

“Hello there, Henry,” Milah responded. She stuck out her hand and Henry took it, tentatively giving it a shake.

“So,” Milah said, turning back to Emma. “There is a very nice park a few blocks down from here. I thought we might go there and play for a bit before we have lunch.”

“Sounds great.”

“Killian had to take my car for an oil change. Let me just grab my phone and let him know where to meet us.”

“Killian is coming?”

“Oh, is that OK? I’m sorry, I should have asked. We live together, and I just figured since you already knew him, it might be nice to have a friendly face around.”

“It’s fine,” Emma replied. “I mean, I don’t know him that well. We only met the other day, but I’m ok with him joining us.”

“Great,” said Milah. Pointing toward the door she asked “shall we?”

Two hours later, Emma, Henry, Milah, and Killian were sitting down to lunch at a small diner near the park. Emma and Henry both ordered a grilled cheese, Emma’s with a side of onion rings. As they waited on their food, Henry was pestering Killian with questions about boats. Henry was obsessed with boats and the water.

Milah and Henry got along very well. She played with him on the playground, pushing him on the swing and following him through the castle structure that had a maze of passages. Emma looked on from a nearby bench, satisfied to have a break from shadowing her rambunctious son. Killian sat next to her, and they fell into easy conversation. When Milah and Henry re-emerged, Killian was talking about his time as a sailor, which set Henry off on his current line of questioning.

Milah smiled at Henry, truly enchanted with the boy. Her manner was easier today, showing less of the possessiveness she’d displayed earlier in the week. While Henry and Killian were deep in conversation, Emma turned to Milah.

“Any word on getting in contact with Neal?”

“I tried calling Robert multiple times, but he’s not being helpful. I suppose I’m going to have to pay him a visit.”

“Is your relationship with your ex husband tense?”

“Yes,” Milah sighed. “I was not the best wife.” She looked at Killian uneasily. “I was unfaithful. Robert claims my infidelity was why Neal disappeared. I don’t deny that I could have been a better mother, but I was not the only one at fault.”

“What do you mean?” Emma asked.

Milah sighed again. “Killian,” she said, “why don’t you show Henry the pictures on the wall back there. There are some big ones of boats he may like.”

Henry heard her words and cried out “boats! Yes please?! Can I go see them?!”

Killian looked at the boy who was already pulling him from the booth. “If it’s ok with your mum, lad.” He pointed to the area Milah referred to, which was clearly visible from their table.

Emma nodded. “That’s fine.”

“Awesome!” Henry exclaimed. 'Awesome’ was his favorite word.

When they were out of earshot, Milah turned to Emma. “Robert wasn’t always a lawyer. He used to be a tailor. He was good at his work, but quite cowardly. He’d get shortchanged and swindled by customers all the time, and his business was failing because of it. I married him because I thought I loved him, but I grew to resent him. We were always struggling with money, and I wanted him to stand up for himself.

I think he decided to go to law school because he was tired of being pushed around. Somewhere along the way he became horribly cruel and controlling. It served him well as a lawyer, but the more powerful he got, the more controlling he was, to both Neal and myself. I didn’t feel like I could leave him, but I was miserable. I let my misery cloud my judgment.”

“Wow,” Emma said. “Neal told me he had a crappy home life, but he never gave me any details.”

“I miss my son every day, and it hurts me to know that he might have hurt you.”

She clearly wanted to Emma to reply with her own confession, but Emma wasn’t ready. “He did,” she said. “I’ll tell you about it another time. Let’s not ruin our day.”

Milah opened her mouth as if she wanted to ask more, but promptly closed it. “You’re right, dear.”

Henry and Killian returned soon after, and they all enjoyed their food. Emma had to admit that this diner made one of the best grilled cheeses she’d ever had.

After their meal, Henry was rubbing his eyes. Emma smiled at her little boy. “I think I need to get this one home for a N-A-P.”

“Mom,” he said, sounding more like a teenager than a 4-year old. “I know that’s just another word for nap.” He yawned. “I’m not even tired.”

“Well I am, kid. And besides, we’re having dinner at Roland’s house tonight. You don’t want to be so tired that you can’t play, do you?”

He seemed to consider her point. “OK, but just a short one.”

Milah smiled and Killian choked on a laugh at this exchange.

They all stood from the table. Milah kneeled down and held out her hand to Henry. “I am so glad I got to meet you, Henry.”

Henry looked at her hand for a moment, and then threw his hands around her neck. She was startled by the hug, but easily returned it. He then pulled away and threw his arms around Killian’s legs. He chuckled and leaned down to pat Henry’s back.

Emma smiled at her son. He was so affectionate. She loved his big heart. “Thank you, for lunch,” she said, turning to Milah. “I’ll call you this week and we can talk about what to do next.”

“I can’t wait,” Milah said, beaming at Emma and her son.

Killian laced his hand with Milah’s and gave it a squeeze as they watched Emma and Henry walk out of the restaurant.


	3. Chapter 3

The rest of the weekend was uneventful, and Emma started the new week feeling good. On Monday she started the work of transitioning to her new role, taking on a few of the lower risk cases. These were not as lucrative as the case with Jack, but they were quick, and she was able to complete a few in one day, providing her with a take home pay on Monday of around $250. Not too shabby, and much better than the pay she was getting as an admin. She had not made progress on hiring her replacement, and Tuesday morning she committed to doing that. She was just settling at the desk when her cell phone rang. It was Milah. Emma hoped she had some news on the Neal front.

“Hello,” Emma said as she answered the phone.

“Emma, it’s Milah. How are you?”

“Not too bad. How about you?”

“The day is still young, but it’s looking good. I was calling to see if you’d be available to have lunch with me today?”

“I think I can do that, but let me get back to you in about an hour. I need to do some interviews today.”

“Ok, well if today doesn’t work, let me know about tomorrow or Thursday. My mornings are slow during the week.”

“Will do. I’ll call you back shortly.”

Emma hung up. Her time with Milah on Saturday had greatly improved her opinion of Neal’s mother. Milah was charmed by Henry and seemed to truly want to be a part of his life. Emma prided herself on being able to read people, and saw no hints of Milah being anything other than what she appeared to be to be. In addition to the woman’s obvious affection for Henry, Emma found she really liked Milah. She was a warm and open person. She felt now that the possessive behavior over Killian at their first meeting must have been more of a physical manifestation of Milah’s insecurities than any enmity towards Emma. She wanted to get to know this woman better, and was looking forward to a one-on-one lunch with her.

She went through the few résumés they’d received since posting the admin job on Friday. Most had no experience, which was not necessarily a bad thing. Two looked promising, and Emma called them to do a phone screen. She was able to get one to come in around 11:00 for a interview. Confident she could be done with that by noon, she called Milah back and scheduled lunch for 12:30 at a sandwich shop nearby.

The 11:00 interview, with a young woman named Ashley, went well. Ashley didn’t have much work experience beyond working as hotel maid, but she was pleasant and organized. She saw the files stacked on Emma’s desk and offered to help sort them before the interview even began. Emma wouldn’t let her do unpaid work, but Ashley gave her a few ideas of how to organize the files that would make the process go faster. Emma liked Ashley, and after a brief meeting with Leroy, they offered her the job. She happily accepted, though she did say she would need a few days to get her childcare situation in order. Leroy was amenable and they agreed she would start the following Monday.

Emma was in a good mood as she walked to meet Milah for their lunch date. They placed their orders and then sat down at a table near the back, where it was quieter.

“Did your interview go well?” Milah asked.

“Yes. We hired her, so now I have a replacement.”

“Now, tell me again what you do. I have a vague idea of what a bail bonds person does, but it’s more from TV shows where an unusually large man jumps over fences to chase down offenders.

Emma laughed. "My life isn’t quite so glamorous. My company helps people who have been arrested and don’t have the money to afford bail. If they don’t show up for their court dates, we have to pay the entire amount of their bail to the courts. So, my new job is the make sure they show up for court.”

“Do a lot of people skip their court appointments?”

“Not as many as you’d think. But enough that my boss, Leroy, keeps five bond agents in rotation. Most of them are small time cases. Not as dangerous as what you see in the movies.”

“And how do you get paid?”

“They pay us 10% of the bond.”

“Fascinating. How did you get into this work?”

“Well, it’s a long story.” Emma took a deep breath. She couldn’t tell Milah how she got into the bond industry without telling her what came before. “Since you haven’t spoken to Neal in so long, you probably don’t know that he was dealing drugs.”

“Neal was a drug dealer? No, that’s news to me. It’s really hard for me to picture him doing that. When was this?”

“About seven years ago. I met him when I was 17. I had no idea he was dealing while we were together.”

“And how long was that?”

“Two years. He disappeared a few months after my 19th birthday. The cops came to search our apartment and found cocaine in my suitcase. I was arrested. They tried to get more information from me about the supplier, but I didn’t know anything. They gave me two years.”

“That seems a bit much if you didn’t know anything.”

“Gotta love those mandatory minimum sentences. I’ve never even done cocaine. The worst I did was pot, but even that wasn’t very often. Anyway, I found out I was pregnant with Henry while I was in jail.”

Milah looked crushed. “You served two years and had your son in jail because my son set you up?”

“It looks that way. I haven’t heard from him since, so I don’t know if he meant to set me up, or if he just forgot he’d used my suitcase to stash his supply. Anyway, when I got out, I had a hard time finding work. I met Leroy, and he took a chance on me and made me his admin. I’ve been his admin for the last two years. Just got promoted on Friday.”

“You are certainly inspiring, rebuilding your life the way you have. Did Henry stay with your family while you were in jail?”

“No. I don’t have much family. He was placed with a foster mother, Regina Mills. She was actually really great. She helped me get back on my feet once I got out. We still see her a lot.”

Milah grabbed Emma’s hand across the table. “I know I shouldn’t apologize for what Neal did, but I am very sorry that you went through all that.”

“Thank you. I don’t like to focus on the past. I just keep trying to move forward and give my son better than I had.” Emma let out a deep breath, keeping her emotions in check. “So, how about you? I told you my story about Neal. Why haven’t you seen him in so long?”

It was Milah’s turn to sigh. “I told you about Robert last time and how cruel he was. I’m sure you’ve guessed that Killian was the man I had an affair with.”

“Yes, I thought that might be the case.”

“What I didn’t tell you was that Neal and Killian were friends. That how we met.”

“Whoa…” Emma said, sitting back in the booth.

“Neal was a sophomore at Storybrooke, and Killian was a first year grad student. He was a teaching aide for Neal’s history class, and they hit it off. Neal brought Killian home at Thanksgiving. Said he wanted to show him our English Thanksgiving.”

“Neal told me about that. How you guys had traditional English dishes instead of turkey.”

“Yes, well, Robert and I never celebrated Thanksgiving, but Neal begged us to do it when he was little. All his schoolmates talked about their own celebrations, so we decided to put our own spin on it.”

“And Neal thought Killian would enjoy it since he’s British as well?”

“He’s actually Irish, but he spent a lot of time in school in England, so he’s lost most of his brogue. But, yes, Neal thought Killian might like it. I felt an attraction to Killian the moment I met him, but I knew it was wrong. I tried to avoid it.”

The parallels to her current situation did not escape Emma. “What happened?”

“After Thanksgiving, he was always around. He and Neal spent quite a bit of time together. I thought it would be good for Neal. He was never a very serious student. I hoped Killian would be a good influence. Killy was such a sweet boy. He lost his mother when he was very young, and I thought maybe he was looking to me to fill that role. I was alright with that. But one day, he came by when Neal wasn’t home. Robert and I just had a fight, and he wasn’t home either. I knew it was a bad idea, but I invited Killian in and we had dinner together. That was the first time he kissed me. I was horrified at first. Tried to avoid him and pretend it never happened, but the next time I saw him, all that attraction came back in full force. He told me that he never saw me as a mother figure. Said he loved me and wanted to be with me. I resisted for a long time, but by the summer we were seeing each other regularly. The truth eventually came out. Neal was failing, and when he found out about my affair, he decided to quit school. He ran away and cut off contact with Robert and I. Robert divorced me, and I took the paltry settlement he gave me to start my shop and purchase the flat above it.”

“And you’ve been with Killian ever since?”

“On and off. We’ve had our spats. The longest we were apart was six months. I never dated anyone else, though. I truly do love him, even when he’s being a complete arse. But I don’t know why he’s convinced I’m the only one for him.”

“Why not?”

“We want different things. He wants a family. He swears he does not, but I see the looks on his face when we are at the store and a cute child walks by. Or how much fun he had with Henry. He wants a child of his own some day, and that won’t be with me. I am content with my life. The only thing I want is to reconcile with Neal.”

“If he’s told you he doesn’t want a child, why not just take him at face value? Maybe he’s not lying.”

“It’s not just that. We fight. A lot. I hate how insecure I feel around him. And I know that Neal would not be happy if he came back to find me still with Killian.”

“Neal doesn’t get a say in this,” Emma said. “He’s a grown man and he doesn’t need to be happy with your life decisions. Only you do.”

“And what if I’m not?”

“Not what? Not happy? Then do something. Find out what’s making you unhappy and change it.”

“I wish I could be as assertive as you. I don’t think I’ve ever done one thing in my life that wasn’t tied to a man in some way. My father kept me under his thumb until I escaped to be with Robert, and then Robert changed and I jumped ship to be with Killian.”

“You started your shop. That wasn’t because of a man.”

Milah’s face lit up. “You’re right. I did that for me. I love vintage clothes. The quality is unmatched by many of the things made today.”

“Find other things like that. Things you like to do just for you.”

“I wouldn’t even know where to begin. Have you ever let a man control your life?”

“Just once. With Neal. Well, I guess Henry does, but that’s different. I learned a long time ago that I couldn’t rely on anyone more than myself. The only one who saves me is me.”

“How did you meet Neal?”

Emma flushed. “I was stealing a car that he’d already stolen. I’d just turned 17 and was running away from the foster system. I’d only had one driving lesson, from a fellow foster kid who first showed me how to break into the car and jump start it. I took those skills, packed up my stuff, and bolted. I took the car, thinking it was an old one the driver probably didn’t need anymore. I scouted it for about a week, and it never moved. But I didn’t realize that Neal was living in it.”

Milah’s eyes grew watery at the thought of her son living in a car. She blinked a few times and sniffled. “You said you were 17 at the time? That would have made Neal…23. Is that right?”

“Yep. He was the first person who actually seemed to want me around. I latched onto that.”

“I can’t imagine him taking a young girl in and then abandoning her later. I thought I raised him better than that,” Milah huffed. “I want to find him and grab him by the ear and make him explain himself.”

“I’m guessing you’ve had no luck getting hold of Robert?”

“No. I tried visiting his office yesterday, but he slammed the door when he saw me coming. He threatened to call campus security and have me arrested for harassment. Still such a bloody coward.”

“So maybe I should go see him.”

“I can’t ask you to deal with him. This is my problem.”

“Yes, but he doesn’t know me. He has no reason to hide from me.”

“Good point. Well, if you want to go by, his office is in the Spencer building, room 204.”

“Thanks. I think I will do that. What’s the best time to go?”

“His office hours haven’t changed since he started the job. On Wednesdays, he’s available from 9-11.”

“Tomorrow morning it is. I’ll let you know how it goes.”

“Good luck.” Milah said with a smile.

* * *

Killian was trudging up the stairs to his apartment when he felt his phone vibrate to alert him of a text message. It was from Milah.

_**Last minute appointment. Be home late.** _

He typed a quick reply. _**Dinner?**_

_**I’ll eat before. Fend for yourself. :-)** _

He pocketed his phone and pulled out his keys to unlock the door. He had some grading to do and thesis proposal to review, so there was plenty to occupy him that evening. After setting his things down, he walked to the kitchen and saw nothing appetizing, so he decided to order Thai food. After calling and placing his order, he sat at his desk and began working.

He was lost in a research paper about the Golden Age of Piracy when the doorbell rang. It seemed a bit too soon for the delivery to be arriving. He opened the door and was immediately pulled out of the apartment by a pair of burly arms.

“Liam?! What the blazes… Let go of me!” He pushed his brother off.

“Now now,” Liam boomed in his commanding voice. “Is that any way to greet your brother?”

“You’re lucky I don’t give you a black eye when you greet me by putting me in a headlock.”

“Comes with the territory, little brother.”

“ _Younger_ brother,” Killian corrected, rubbing a sore spot on his neck. “Come on you stubborn arse. Let’s get inside.”

They walked into the small apartment, Liam toward the couch, and Killian to the fridge. Two beers in hand, Killian joined his brother in the living area and settled on the couch. The clinked their bottles together in a toast and each took a hearty sip.

“So,” Killian began, “what brings you to Boston?”

“Investigating new opportunities. My company is looking into switch carriers for some of our Trans-Atlantic freight.”

Liam worked in logistics for some sort of manufacturing company. That was all Killian knew about his brother’s livelihood. It seemed to pay well, however, and he was constantly travelling between his home in London and the US, though often to New York instead of Boston.

“Well, I wish you would have told me you were coming. How long are you in town for?”

“I wanted it to be a surprise! I fly back in next Friday, but I have to spend most of next week in New York. I thought I could take some time off and pester my younger brother for a few days in Boston.”

“I can’t cancel my classes. The administration is watching me like a hawk. I think Gold told them I was just handing out grades.”

“You’d think after ten years he’d be over you shagging his wife right under his nose.”

Killian gave Liam a pained look. “It wasn’t like that. You know.”

“I know nothing other than you jumped on her like an eager puppy and wore her down until she couldn’t avoid you.”

The younger Jones brother began scratching behind his ear, his old nervous tick. “You’re not being fair, Liam. You know I love Milah.”

“Aye, that I do.” Liam clenched his teeth, and Killian knew he was holding himself back from voicing the remainder of his thoughts. Killian had heard it all before.  _You two are both lovely people, but you don’t belong together. You’re just so afraid to be alone that you cling to each other and block yourselves off from the chance to be really happy._  This was a constant refrain in Killian’s thoughts, fed somewhat from Liam’s comments on prior occasions, and also from his own insecurities. He knew there was something missing with Milah, but he was terrified of the thought of ever leaving her.

“Speaking of,” Liam said, “Where is your better half?”

“I don’t know. She texted me and said she had a last minute appointment.”

“She didn’t say what it was?”

“I didn’t bother to ask. I have some grading to do, and I ordered Thai food, so I was looking forward to a productive evening.”

“Well, put off your grading and stash the Thai for your lunch tomorrow. I’m taking you out to dinner.”

“OK. Let me put on something other than my professor uniform.” Killian stood up and went to his room to change. As he stood in the room in nothing but his boxers, he heard the doorbell ring.

“Oi! Liam! That’ll be my food. Cash for the tip is on the kitchen counter.” He finished dressing in jeans and a soft t-shirt. He walked out to the living area, the rich aroma of the food making his mouth water.

“I may need to have a little nibble. I am starving.” Stepping around the counter, he saw the cash he had set aside still sitting on the counter. He spun around on Liam. “You didn’t give him the tip?”

“You Americans and your bloody tipping. Why isn’t it just included in the price?”

“You git! They’ll never deliver here again if I short change the drivers. Or if they do, they’ll spit in my food.”

“You really have become an American. You didn’t even correct me when I called you that. And you’re more concerned with making sure this crazy system stays in place.”

Killian paused. “I’m not an American, I’m a Permanent Resident. And that place has the best Thai food for miles, and now, thanks to you, I can’t ever have them deliver again.”

Liam laughed. “Come on, Killy. Get your shoes on. I’ll find us a better Thai food place for dinner.”

* * *

Wednesday morning found Emma driving around the campus of Storybrooke University trying to find a parking spot. Was parking such a mess at every school? She suddenly found herself grateful that she’d never had the college experience, if only because she had no idea how she would deal with a parking situation like this every day. Finally finding a spot, nearly on the opposite side of campus from where she wanted to be, she stepped out of her car and shivered at the chilly air of the early spring morning. She hugged her jacket tighter to herself and started the long walk to the Spencer building.

After getting turned around more than once, and with the help of some students, she stood in front of the Spencer building. It was a clean, sleek, modern building. Obviously one of the newer ones on campus. Idly she wondered if the building Killian worked in was as nice. She opened the glass doors and followed the signs to the elevator. Just as the doors started to close, she heard a cry in the hallway.

“Wait! Please, hold the door!”

Emma swiftly moved to block the doors from closing and pressed the button to hold them. A petite woman with brown hair rushed through, holding a box overflowing with books.

“Thanks,” she said.

“No problem,” Emma replied. She turned to stare at the doors for their short ride to the second floor. The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. Emma found that she and the young woman were going in the same direction. She approached the door to Robert Gold’s office and saw that it was closed. The woman saw her pause.

“Are you looking for Professor Gold? He’ll be back in a moment. He told me he was going to grab a coffee.”

“I am, thank you.”

After she deposited her books in what appeared to be a small library, she turned and extended her hand. “I’m Belle. I work with Professor Gold.” She gave Emma a warm smile, and her striking blue eyes sparkled with cheer.

“Emma Swan.”

“Are you here to talk about pursuing a law degree?”

“Oh, no. This is a more personal matter.” She felt uncomfortable revealing too much about herself to a relative stranger. To change the subject, she said “Do you teach as well?”

“No. I’m actually the assistant librarian for the school, but I am helping maintain the legal library until they can hire someone to take over.”

“So, just a temporary role?”

“Well, it was supposed to be, but that was a year ago. There’s always an issue with getting funding in the budget for the replacement, so I just keep helping out. I’m lucky we have enough student workers to help fill the gaps in the library.”

“Why not get a student worker to come over here?”

“Oh, well, he wouldn’t like that. He’s very particular with how things are organized.”

“He?”

“Professor Gold.”

“I wasn’t aware he was head of the department.”

“I’m not,” said a voice behind her. Emma turned to see an older man with dark grey hair and a ruddy complexion. He was dressed impeccably in a tailored, pinstripe suit and leaning on an ornate cane. His brown eyes had a cold look, but Emma recognized them as the same eyes that her son Henry possessed. The same eyes Neal possessed.

“Mr. Gold…” she began.

“Professor Gold, if you please. May I ask who you are and why you are making questions about my staffing choices?”

“Robert, please, she was just making conversation,” Belle interjected. Emma did not miss the fact that Belle was not required to address him formally.

“And who is she?”

Emma steeled herself and stepped forward, extending her hand. “I’m Emma Swan. I need to talk to you about your son, Neal.”

He did not take her hand. “What could you possibly have to do with my son?” He sneered.

Her patience quickly wore thin.“Recently, not much, but five years ago he abandoned me, pregnant and serving time for his criminal activity. My son wants to meet his father, and since Neal has disappeared off the face of the Earth, I need you to help me find him.”

Gold was speechless. His eyes changed from their previous disdainful cast and took on a faraway look. “Neal had a son?”

“No,  _I_  had a son. And if it were up to me, Neal wouldn’t have anything to do with him. But that’s not fair to Henry. So, how do I get in contact with Neal?”

The faraway look was gone. He stared at Emma again with that cold gaze. “How do I know the boy is even Neal’s?”

“Because he has your eyes,” Emma said. She whipped out the wallet-sized picture of Henry she had stashed in her jacket pocket that morning and handed it to Gold.

He looked down at the picture with watery eyes, but the emotion almost immediately receded. His eyes raised up to meet Emma’s. “I don’t have a number for Neal, but I have a way to contact him. I will reach out and let you know once I hear back. How should I contact you? I assume you no longer reside in jail?”

She scoffed and handed him her business card. “My cell phone number is on there.” She snatched the picture back from Gold. “If I don’t hear from you, I’ll be back. Don’t think about trying to hide from me.”

“You should watch your tone,  _dearie_.”

“Let’s get one thing straight. I am not afraid of you. Try to intimidate me all you want. It. Won’t. Work. I am here for one reason, and that is to give my son a chance to meet his father.”

“I never do anything without a price.”

“Robert,” Belle interjected. Emma hadn’t realized she was still there. “This boy is your grandson. Stop being hostile and help her out.”

The effect was incredible. One moment Gold was an angry imp ready to destroy Emma, but a word from Belle and he turned to mush. There was definitely something more between them than just a work relationship. Gold released a heavy breath. He turned back to Emma.“Very well, I will contact Neal. If I don’t hear from him in a week, I will call and let you know.

"Thank you,” Emma said, turning to take her leave.

“Wait, Miss Swan. Might I keep the photo? I’d like the share it with Neal.”

Emma hesitated. She didn’t like the idea of this man having a picture of Henry. But it may make Neal more likely to come out of the woodwork. She reluctantly handed him the print.

“Pleasure doing business with you. We’ll speak soon.”

She turned and stalked toward the elevator. Despite the satisfactory outcome of her visit, she couldn’t help feeling like she’d just made a deal with the devil.


	4. Chapter 4

Emma was going to be late. She’d been tailing this punk kid all day, waiting for him to come out of the apartment he was hiding in. This was the biggest case she’d taken on her own as of yet. Not as big as Jack, but enough to give her a solid payday and make up for the slow days on Tuesday and Wednesday. She huffed a sigh as she looked up toward the window of the unit she knew he was in. She contemplated going in and knocking on the door, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to try and apprehend someone in close quarters.

She glanced at her phone. Almost 5:00. If she didn’t leave to pick up Henry by 5, she might not get there before closing time. And if you showed up after closing, you were charged extra. She didn’t want to be charged a fee because this punk couldn’t get his act together. She decided she had to call Regina.

“Emma,” Regina said when she answered, sounding less than pleased. “Let me guess, you need me to get Henry?”

Emma hated it when Regina was like this. But she’d come to learn that it wasn’t so much a judgment on Emma’s parenting skills than it was a general lack of affection for most people. “Yep. Would you mind? I should be able to get him by 6:30 or 7.”

“No, of course not. Henry is always welcome. How about you just plan to come over for dinner? He can take a bath here and be all ready for bed when you guys head home.”

“Thanks, Regina,” Emma said. “I’ll see you then.”

As soon as she hung up, Emma saw the kid walk out of the building. It was go time. She stepped out of her car, concealing the handcuffs between her back and the waistband of her jeans, as Mu had taught her. She walked briskly in the direction of the building.

“Chad? Chad Markham, is that you?” She called out, infusing her tone with friendliness.

Chad turned to face her. At first his face look annoyed, but he quickly relaxed as he took her in. Emma knew she was attractive. She didn’t like the flaunt it, but Mu had taught her to take advantage of it with guys like Jack, and she was now deploying the same tactic with Chad. He was wanted for sexual assault. Apparently, he tried to run with a crowd of frat boys from rich families. He wasn’t as fortunate, and after his arrest his mother had come to Grumpy’s to help bail him out. Now he was trying to skip town. The very nature of his crime and his nonchalance about it made Emma’s blood boil.

“Hey beautiful,” he said. “Do I know you?”

It took all of Emma’s self control to repress a sneer of disgust. “We met a couple weeks ago, at the Kappa party. I gave you my number, but you never called. I thought we had a connection.” Her face turned downcast as she feigned disappointment.

Chad stepped closer and leaned in. “We did. I’m sorry, sweetheart. I lost my phone that night. Can I make it up to you?” He put his hand on her arm and started stroking her wrist with his thumb.

This was her chance. She slowly slid her free hand toward her back, grasping the handcuffs. In one fluid motion, she slapped one end of the cuffs on his wrist, attaching the other to the pole of a street sign next to her.

“What the fuck?” Chad yelled. He thrashed wildly, pulling against the pole. His free arm swung wide, trying to hit her. When that didn’t land, he kicked outward and connected with her thigh. She stumbled backward. Nothing was broken, but she knew there would be a nasty bruise there later. “The fuck you doing, bitch?” He called out again, his voice laced with malice.

“Shut up,” Emma retorted, with more bravado than she felt. She stepped just out of his reach and called David.

“Emma!” David answered.

“Hey Dave. I just bagged my first big case. He’s a little more hostile than I can handle just yet. Can you send someone to come help me?” She gave him her location.

“Yeah. My partner and I are actually a couple blocks over. We’ll come help you out. Maybe help you learn a few moves for next time.”

“Thanks Dave. See you in a minute.”

Chad continued to yell expletives at her. She ignored him, looking for David’s car. True to his word, he pulled up to the curb three minutes after they’d hung up. As he was turning off the engine, the passenger door opened and a stunningly good looking man stepped out. He was tall, with light brown hair and deep blue eyes. His face was covered with a short beard. Like David, he was not dressed in uniform, instead wearing a leather jacket and linen vest over a blue button down, paired with jeans. Emma found she couldn’t speak in the presence of this beautiful man. Fortunately, Dave had walked around the car by then, looking at the two of them with an amused expression on his face.

“Emma,” he said. “This is my new partner, Graham. Graham, this is Emma.”

“Hi,” Emma said, cautiously extending her hand.

“Nice to meet you, Emma,” Graham said in return, taking her hand in his. She could tell from his accent that he was Irish, though it was less polished than Killian’s. She couldn’t help but wonder what the country of Ireland did to produce such good looking men.

“Yeah.” She said, pulling her hand back.

“Hey bitch!” She heard Chad yell from behind them. “You wanna fuck these cops, have at it, but let me go first!”

Her expression turned steely and she pivoted to face Chad. “You’re not going anywhere, you slimy piece of shit. You’re in violation of your bond agreement, and I am turning you over to police custody to await your trial.”

David restrained Chad’s free arm and pinned it behind his back. Emma removed the cuff from the pole and Graham helped her attach it to his other wrist. Then David helped Chad into the back of their car.

“You cunt!” He yelled at Emma. “I’ll make you pay for this!” She was visibly shaken by his words. Graham stepped closer to her. David slammed the door and turned to them.

“You ok, Em?”

“Yes. He’s just the most hostile one I’ve had yet. I guess I need to get used to guys like that.”

“How long have you been doing this?” Graham asked.

“Tomorrow will make it a week.” She gave him a small smile.

“You’re doing really good, Emma.” David looked at her with something akin to pride.

“Thanks.” She looked at her phone, and noticed that it was close to 6:00 now. “I have to go pick up Henry. Regina got him for me from daycare.”

“Tell him Uncle Davey says hello,” David said with a wink.

“Will do.” She turned to Graham. “It was nice to meet you.”

“You too, Emma.”

* * *

“Mama!” Henry came bounding down the stairs the minute Regina opened the door, Roland hot on his heels.

“Miss Emma! Miss Emma!” Roland cried as he came up to her. She kneeled down and opened her arms so she could hug both boys.

“Miss Emma,” Roland said again. “Can Henny sleep here tonight?”

Emma smiled at the boy who was like a brother to her son. “I don’t know sweetie. It’s a school night.”

“Please!” The boys asked in unison.

Emma was trying to figure out how to nicely tell them no, when Regina saved her.

“Roland,” she said in her measured tone, “we’ve already had this conversation. It’s a school night, so Emma and Henry need to go to their house. But we will set up a sleepover soon.”

“Okay…” Roland replied.

Emma straightened up and mouthed a silent thanks to Regina. She followed her through the house and into the great room, where Rob was sitting with another man she’d never seen before.

“Emma!” Rob said, standing up. He came over and gave her a hug. Rob was always more affectionate than Regina. He pulled away and gestured toward the other man. “Allow me to introduce my old school friend, Liam Jones.”

The last name struck Emma. He couldn’t be related to Killian. Jones was something like the second most common name in the world, right? The man stood up and walked over. He had light brown hair, curly, but closely cropped to his scalp. He was tall and muscular, and his eyes looked familiar. She couldn’t help but think of Killian’s eyes, but put that thought down as the work of her fanciful imagination.

“Pleasure to meet you, lass,” he said. Of course he would have an accent. If he’d gone to school with Rob, it must have been in England. But she recognized a slight lilt that again brought Killian to mind. Was he Irish too? What was it with these incredibly attractive Irish men?

“Likewise,” she said. “So, are you visiting Boston, or do you live here and I’ve just never met you?”

The corners of his eyes crinkled as he gave her a warm smile. “Just visiting, I’m afraid. Had to be in the States for work, and thought I’d take a few days to catch up with my brother and my old friend Robin Hood.”

“Robin Hood?” She said, lifting her eyebrows and looking at Rob.

“It’s an old nickname,” he said. “You know my first name is actually Robin.”

“You’re not sharing the whole story!” Liam boomed, his voice full of mirth. “Old Rob here found out the women’s football team was sadly underfunded, even though they were much better contenders for a championship than the men’s team. So he stole money from the men’s team and made an ‘anonymous’ donation to the ladies team to help them pay for the trip. It was a big scandal.”

“Hence the name Robin Hood. I see.” She turned back to Liam. “You said your brother’s here too?”

“Aye. He teaches history over at Storybrooke University. He had class tonight, so I decided to call Rob and see if he would introduce me to his lovely new bride.” He looked over to Regina and gave her a wink. She actually blushed. Emma had never seen her blush.

“He teaches history at Storybrooke?” Emma asked. That was one coincidence she couldn’t ignore. “Your brother wouldn’t happen to be Killian, would he?”

“Aye, you know him?”

“Just a little. Through Milah.”

“Ah, Milah. Great lass.” He pressed his mouth in a firm line. It was obvious he was holding himself back from saying more.

She looked nervously in the direction of Henry and Roland, who were racing Hot Wheel cars in the kitchen nearby.

“Boys,” Regina said. “Why don’t you head upstairs and play for a bit? I’ll come get you when dinner is ready.”

Emma was grateful for Regina’s perception. She’d told Regina and Rob about Milah after the first lunch. They knew she’d be hungry for any information that would help her make a decision about whether to trust Neal’s mother. Although she personally was beginning to really like Milah, Liam’s reaction gave her pause. Once she was sure the boys were upstairs , she turned back to Liam. “What aren’t you saying about Milah?”

“It’s not my place to say.”

“I just found out that Milah is my son’s grandmother. I want to include her in his life, but not if there is some reason I shouldn’t. Please.”

“Oh, no, it’s nothing like that. Milah is a lovely woman. I just don’t like her with my brother.”

“Because she cheated on her husband with Killian?”

“No. I had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting Robert Gold once, and she was right to get away from that ponce. I don’t like her with Killian because they both are unhappy, but too afraid of being alone to break up.”

“Okay…” Emma said. “Well, I don’t want to pry into their love life, but I appreciate you clearing that up. Henry’s father hurt me pretty bad, so I’m cautious about who I let into his life.”

“He’s a good boy, you should be proud. And he has a good mum.”

“I do my best. I’m glad to have Regina’s help. She’s just as much his mother as I am.”

Regina’s face lit up slightly. She was not comfortable with praise, but Emma wanted to give credit where due. “Did you catch the guy?” Regina asked, changing the subject.

“Yep. He was pretty hostile. Tried to hurt me. Luckily I got him restrained and David was nearby. He and his partner came and helped me out.”

“That’s good. Dinner should be ready soon. We’re having lasagna.”

Emma settled into a pleasant dinner with Regina, Rob, and Liam. Henry and Roland both ate hearty portions and shared a bath. By the time she left, Henry was draped over her shoulder, fast asleep. Rob was getting Roland to bed, and Liam offered to help her get Henry in the car.

After she made sure he was buckled in, she closed the door and turned to Liam. “It was nice to meet you.”

“You too. Maybe I’ll see you again before I head out of town? I’m having dinner Saturday night with Killian and Milah. Would you like to join us?”

“Are you asking me out?”

He chuckled. “Can’t a bloke spend time with a lovely acquaintance without it being a date?”

She couldn’t help but smile. He was charming. And attractive. But she didn’t feel the same pull with him that she had with Killian. Still, it couldn’t hurt. She was free, since she’d arranged with Regina that Henry would spend the night on Saturday, after much begging from Henry and Roland.

“Actually,” she said with a smile, “that’s the textbook definition of a date. And I’d be happy to join you.”

* * *

“Milah!” Killian called out. “Have you seen my dark blue waistcoat?”

“I think it’s still at the dry cleaners,” she replied, walking into the bedroom.

“Bollocks.” He ran his fingers through his hair. Why was he so nervous? It was just dinner with Liam.  _And Emma_ , his traitorous mind reminded him. Fortunately, Milah didn’t seem to suspect the reason for his anxiety. Or rather, she attributed it to the same thing causing her anxiety.

“I hope your brother doesn’t spend the whole evening subtly suggesting that we break up. I’m glad he invited Emma. I quite like her, and maybe he’ll be too occupied flirting with her to bother us.”

Killian felt a pain in his stomach at the thought of his brother flirting with Emma. “I don’t know what to wear,” he said, changing the subject.

Milah stepped into the closet and came out with a red button down and a dark grey vest. “Wear these. Button the vest up. The dark jeans you are wearing will go well.”

He smiled. “You, love, are bloody brilliant. You can make anyone look stylish.”

“I’ve been thinking about that,” she said. “I opened the shop a while ago. I was thinking about taking the next step.”

“Aye, love? You know I’ll support you, no matter what.”

“I want to travel. Attend some fashion shows. Maybe local at first, New York and the like. I’ve been thinking about trying my hand at designing.”

“You’re a wonderful artist. I think you’d do well.”

“You’re supposed to say that. You’re my boyfriend.”

“Doesn’t make it any less true.”

“No offense, darling, but I want an opinion from a professional. Someone who knows fashion.”

He was hurt that she couldn’t accept his praise, but he let it go. It wouldn’t do to get into a fight before dinner.

They finished getting ready and headed to the restaurant. Liam had chosen a bistro he loved to frequent whenever he was in Boston. When they arrived, he was already at a table, tasting wines. He stood as he saw them walk over.

“Brother! Good to see you again!”

“We just saw each other this morning,” Killian said, slightly annoyed.

“I can’t be happy to see my little brother?”

“Younger…” he muttered under his breath.

“Milah!” Liam said, turning towards her and pulling her into a hug. “Still slumming it with my younger brother, I see.”

“Why?” Milah asked. “You interested?”

He grinned and gave her a wink. “Don’t tempt me, love.”

“Where’s Emma?” Killian asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

“She should be by soon. She insisted on driving here herself. A bit jittery, that one.”

“She’s got a good reason,” Milah said, settling in her chair.

They fell into conversation, only somewhat stilted. Liam truly seemed like he would not butt into Killian’s relationship tonight. After about fifteen minutes, Emma walked up.

Killian was facing the door, and noticed her first. He hadn’t seen her since the week prior at the coffee shop. He felt his memory did not do her justice. She was dressed in a grey sweater dress, leggings, and knee high boots. Her outfit was casual enough for the occasion, but still very flattering. Her golden tresses tumbled over her shoulders and she wore dark eyeliner that made her green eyes pop.

He felt a nudge under the table and saw Liam shoot him a reproachful look. Thankfully, Milah had not noticed him staring at Emma, as she was agonizing about what to order. He and Liam stood up simultaneously, and Milah looked up from the menu.

“Emma!” She said, her tone infused with warmth. She walked around the table and gave the blonde a hug. “I am so glad you agreed to come. It’s lovely to see you again.”

“You too,” Emma said.

Killian’s heart warmed. He could see a genuine friendship developing between these two. Milah didn’t have many friends, and he was happy to see her bonding with Emma.

Emma turned to look at him and gave him a small smile. “Killian,” she said, nodding her head. She then turned to Liam and placed her hand on his forearm. She stood up on her toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“Glad you could join us, lass,” Liam said, returning the peck. Killian’s stomach flipped, wishing he was the one she was kissing.

Emma and Milah began chatting comfortably, Emma filling the other woman in on her interaction with Robert. She then shared some of the stories from her job. While she didn’t have many funny stories of her own yet, she regaled them with tales from her friend, Mu.

Liam told his own tales about his travels. They stayed talking long after their food was cleared. It was truly an enjoyable evening, though Killian had to restrain himself from staring at Emma, as her beautiful face lit up whenever she laughed.

When it was getting late and the waitstaff was giving them dirty looks, they vacated the table and walked outside. They began heading toward their cars, but Liam hung back.

“Emma,” he asked, “do you think we could take a bit of a walk before we conclude our evening?”

“Sure,” she said. She turned and gave Milah a hug.

“Watch out for that one,” Milah said. “These Jones boys are trouble.”

“I can handle myself,” Emma replied. She looked over at Killian. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Swan,” he said. He forced himself to turn and walk toward his car, so as not to have to watch his brother in a romantic interlude with Emma.


	5. Chapter 5

The fight began the moment they were in the car.

“She was there with your brother, Killian!”

“I know!”

“Then why couldn’t you keep yourself from ogling her?”

“I did no such thing.”

“I’m not blind, Killian. You think I don’t notice, but I do. You’re attracted to her.”

“Even if I feel an attraction to her, which I’m not saying I do, that doesn’t mean I would ever act on it. I love you. You are all I need.”

“I don’t want a man who stays with me out of obligation!”

“Well what do you want, then? Because I have been trying for ten years to give you anything and everything, but we always end up back here!”

“Maybe that’s a sign that we don’t belong together.”

That gave Killian pause. He pulled over and parked the car. Milah looked at him uneasily. “What are you doing? Why are we pulled over?”

“I don’t want to continue this conversation while having to also pay attention to the road.”

They stared at one another for a while. Not saying anything else. Neither one moved. Finally, Milah broke the silence. “Can you just admit that you find her attractive?”

“I have eyes, love. I know she’s attractive. That doesn’t mean that I want to leave you and be with her.”

“But if you were single, you would pursue her?”

“It doesn’t matter because I’m not single. Why are you always so insecure about us?”

“Because I don’t understand why we are still together.”

Killian’s heart dropped at her words. “Why wouldn’t we be? We are in love.”

“No, we  _were_  in love, Killian. At one point I did truly love you. I always will love you in a way, but I don’t think I’m in love with you anymore.”

“So…what? Are we breaking up?”

“Should we still be together if we’re not happy and want different things?”

“I don’t want Emma. Even if we break up, I’m not going to be with her. The fact that she has Henry means you will be there, and I can’t live with the idea of being in your life but not being  _with_  you.” He grabbed her hand and began kissing her palm fervently.

She pulled her hand away, not satisfied that she’d gotten her point across. “I don’t just mean Emma, Killian. I want to travel. See the world. When we met, you had grand plans for a follow up book. You were working toward your PhD so you could have more credence as an author. You were going to travel and dive shipwrecks throughout the world. You would take me places. Now you’re stuck teaching a required class to uninterested freshmen. I have been waiting for you to take me away, but you seem to be happy living this boring existence for the rest of your days!”

Her outburst left him speechless. The silence returned for a few moments before he said, “that’s how you really feel, love?”

“Yes. I’ve never said it aloud…to anyone. But yes, I want to see the world. I’ve never seen anything outside of Boston and Bristol. I’ve been waiting for you to take me on a trip, but I think now I want to go by myself.”

Killian was again unable to respond. He’d forgotten about his grand plans to write a follow up book. He’d become so wrapped up in the world of academia. “Where do we go from here?” He asked.

“I don’t know. But we can’t go back to the way we were. We can’t pretend this didn’t happen.”

“Aye,” he said in reply. “Will this affect your friendship with Emma? I’ve seen you develop a camaraderie with her. I don’t want to ruin that.”

“No, I have no ill will toward Emma. I don’t think she feels the same attraction to you. I think she finds you handsome, but she kissed Liam tonight. She wouldn’t have done that if she liked you.”

“So, you’re leaving me because you think I fancy a lass that doesn’t return my regard?”

“No,” she sighed. “I’m not saying we break up because of Emma. We break up because we are not right for each other, and we will be unhappy as long as we continue this way.”

He was struck. Milah was his world. “I don’t know who I am apart from you,” he admitted.

“And I you, but we have to try. Really try. Not like those times before where we kept coming back because it was the easiest course to take.”

“What do we do now?”

“I think you need to find a new place to live, and I need to start planning a trip.”

Killian felt numb as he restarted the engine and pulled back out into the street. He was on autopilot as he drove home. As soon as he and Milah were back in their flat, he turned around without a word and marched back downstairs. He walked down the street to a bar. It was a bit too hip for his liking, but he needed to drink. He wanted his mind to stay numb. He ordered a shot of rum and told the bartender to leave the bottle. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

Emma and Liam walked two blocks away from the restaurant and ended up at a nightclub with a live jazz band. They were sitting at a table near the back, casually chatting and nursing their drinks. Emma was pleasantly surprised at how much fun she was having. She admitted to herself that she was not as reserved with Liam as she was with other men. She supposed that to be due to his temporary status. They could never have a relationship because he didn’t live here.

There had been no contact between them beyond the kisses they’d planted on one another’s cheeks when she arrived at the restaurant. Emma hadn’t intended for that to happen, but she saw the way Killian looked at her when she came in. She knew he was attracted to her, but he was with Milah. She’d been so angry in that moment at him for being attached that she decided to be overly affectionate with Liam. Now she couldn’t help but worry that Liam would expect further intimacy. Still, she thought, Ruby would be proud of her.

“What’s on your mind, lass?” Liam asked, breaking her from her reverie.

“Just thinking about my best friend. She’s always pestering me to get out more. I ought to get some evidence that I had a date tonight.”

“Let’s take a picture!” He said with a little too much enthusiasm. “What do the young ones call it these days? A selfie?”

She laughed. “You can’t be that old. I’m sure you know what a selfie is.”

“I am appalled you would even suggest that I am old. Old fashioned, perhaps, but not old. Still, I can honestly say that I have never taken a selfie in my life, but I am willing to break that record for you.”

She picked up her phone and opened the camera. Flipping to the front facing camera, she held out her arm and leaned in to Liam. The lighting was not ideal, but she snapped the photo anyway. A waitress happened to be walking by, and Liam flagged her down and asked her to take a more traditional shot. Emma flushed with embarrassment, but posed dutifully. When she had her phone back, she opened the picture, pleased with the outcome.

“You should send that to her now,” Liam said.

Emma smiled, and decided to do just that. She shared the photo with Ruby, sending no accompanying message. It would be interesting to see how she replied. “She probably won’t respond anytime soon. I am sure she’s out on her own date.”

“And she is always encouraging you to go out?”

“Yes. She thought I was on a date a few weeks ago, the night I met Killian. I was actually on a job. It was a complete setup, but she still came charging over the next day, asking me for details.”

“The night you met Killian? I thought you met Killian through Milah?”

“Oh, well, yeah. I mean, I met him first, literally the day before I met Milah. I didn’t know he was with her until the second day.”

“How did you meet him?”

“Well, like I said, I was on a job. My friend had used my photo on Tinder to lure this guy so she could apprehend him. After she grabbed him, she left to go take him to the station and I stayed behind. Killian approached me after that and we talked for a while.”

“And he never mentioned Milah?”

“No, but it didn’t really come up in our conversation. He did say he had a girlfriend. I didn’t even know about Milah being Henry’s grandmother until the next day anyhow, so it would have had no context for me if he’d told me her name.”

“Interesting,” Liam said, looking at her slyly.

“Hey, no, I’m not into Killian. He’s dating Milah, which basically makes him Henry’s step-grandfather. How messed up would that be if I liked him?”

“Sometimes we can’t help who we like, Emma.”

“I damn well can. I’d never do anything to hurt my son, even if it meant sacrificing a possible relationship.”

“You think you could have a relationship with Killian?”

“No! I didn’t say that. Don’t put words in my mouth.”

He chuckled. “Don’t worry lass, your secret is safe with me. I won’t tell my brother how flustered you became when talking about him.”

“I will give you a black eye if you keep talking like that.”

“Well we can’t have that. That could cost me my status as the more handsome Jones Brother.” He flashed her a cheeky grin.

She playfully punched his arm. Her phone lit up then, showing a reply from Ruby. Before she could open it, Liam’s phone began ringing. He looked puzzled, then immediately answered it.

“Milah?” He asked, concern in his voice. “You did? Truly? No, no, don’t be that way. That’s not what I meant.” He paused, listening. “Where is he? And when was this? Okay, I will go get him. No problem at all, love. I will check in and let you know how he’s doing. Yes. Cheers.”

“What happened?” Emma asked.

“It appears that Milah and Killian had an argument, and she broke up with him. And now my little brother is drowning his sorrows at a local bar. She’s worried about him. I need to go get him and let him sleep it off in my hotel room. I’m sorry love. We’ll need to cut our date short.”

“That’s okay,” she replied. “You go ahead. I can close out the tab here.”

“I will most certainly not. Killian’s not going anywhere for the moment. I will take care of this and walk you to your car.”

He finished up his drink, and flagged down the waitress to close out his tab. He then walked Emma back, staying close but never touching. She could feel that the dynamic had shifted somehow. He seemed to want to keep her at arm’s length. When they reached her Bug, he wrapped one arm around her shoulder and kissed her on the forehead. The gesture was almost brotherly. Was this because he thought she wanted to be with Killian? Emma hadn’t planned to do anything physical with Liam, but she couldn’t help feeling insulted by his sudden change in behavior. Still, she remained calm as she looked at him.

“Goodnight Liam. If I don’t see you before you leave town, safe travels.”

“Thank you lass,” he said, opening the car door for her. She climbed behind the wheel and buckled her seat belt, started the car, and gave him a small smile. He responded by thumping the roof twice and stepping away from the curb. Emma drove home in silence, trying to sort the emotions now swirling within her.

* * *

The first thing Killian noticed was that the sun was too damn bright. The second thing he noticed was that he was not in his own bed. He groaned and rolled over, pulling the pillow over his head.

“Good morning little brother!”

“Your voice is entirely too loud. And close the bloody drapes! It’s too bright.”

“Neither I nor the sun can be held accountable for the aftermath of your bad choices. It’s time to get up. You have a lot to do today.” Liam set a glass of water and bottle of aspirin on the bedside table.

“What are you talking about?”

“You need to find a new place to live.”

“I don’t want to think about that.”

“No time like the present. I’ve called Rob, and he knows someone looking to sublet an apartment for 6 months. I think you should go see it today. It’s furnished, and would give you time to get yourself sorted out and into a proper place of your own.”

“I know you are  _older_ ,” Killian said, emphasizing the descriptor, “but you don’t need to parent me. I am a grown man.”

“If I were parenting you, I’d grab you by your ear and chastise you for drinking yourself into oblivion simply because the inevitable finally happened.”

“I don’t want to have this argument with you, Liam. I don’t believe Milah and I were fated to break up.”

“Be that as it may, you have, and you will go see this sublet and if it’s even halfway decent, you should take it. You haven’t lived on your own since grad school, Killian. Even if you and Milah eventually end up back together, you need to work on improving yourself.”

“What are you, a bloody psychologist now?”

“No. I’m your brother, and I am tired of seeing you like this. Now get up and go take a shower. If you can’t get yourself together, I will drag your belligerent ass back to London.”

Killian sighed, but sat up. He took two aspirin and downed the water. Liam loaned him some clothes, and he walked to the bathroom for a long, hot shower.

Once he was clean, he stepped back into the room. Liam handed him his cell phone and a phone number written on the notepad from the bedside table. Killian called the number and set up a time to visit the sublet that afternoon. Having accomplished that task, he pocketed his phone and grabbed his wallet.

“Let’s go get some breakfast, jackass,” he said to Liam. His brother simply chuckled and followed him out of the room.

* * *

Emma was enjoying her coffee and some quiet before heading to pick up Henry. She missed her son. She was used to him waking her up on weekend mornings by crawling into her bed. It was strange to not have that today, but she also recognized the rarity of some leisure time, and was taking full advantage. Unfortunately that did not last very long, as she heard a knock on her door followed by a voice saying “Emma? It’s Ruby. Are you home?”

She laughed and opened the door, letting her best friend inside. “Ruby? What are you doing here? It’s nine AM. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you awake before eleven on a Sunday.”

“Well, you never responded to my text last night, and then Mrs. Roberts said you came home around midnight, so I wasn’t sure what to think. What happened to your date? Who was he?”

“I should have known…” she muttered under her breath. “His name is Liam. He’s an old schoolmate of Rob’s. I met him the other day and he invited me to dinner last night.”

“And you said yes? I’m so proud of you!” Ruby wrapped her arms around her friend and squeezed her tight. “Wait a minute,” she said, releasing her hold. “You said yes? Why’d you say yes? You’re usually so guarded. What’s the catch with this one?”

“You know me too well… Yes, there was a catch. He lives in London. He’s just here for business.”

“Well, you know, long distance relationships are much easier these days. You could make it work.”

“I’m not going to do that. He’s Killian’s…” She stopped herself. She wasn’t sure she wanted Ruby to know who Liam really was, but it was too late.

“He’s Killian’s what? I thought you said he knew Rob. What’s Killian got to do with it?”

Emma drew her lips into a tight line. “He’s Killian’s brother. We had dinner last night with Killian and Milah.”

“Well that’s an interesting development. So, what happened? Why didn’t Mr. London Businessman take you to his fancy hotel room for a good bit of  _shagging_?” Ruby’s eyes glowed with mirth as she made a very poor attempt at a British accent.

“We went to a jazz club after dinner, just the two of us. It was going well, and then he got a call from Milah asking him to go pick up Killian from a bar.”

“So he goes and gets Killian, takes him back to his apartment, and then you guys continue on the date. Why cut it short?”

“Because Killian couldn’t go back to his apartment.”

“Why not?” Recognition suddenly dawned on Ruby’s face. “Did they break up?” Emma remained silent. Ruby began squealing. “They did break up! You and Killian need to strike while the iron is hot. Or wait, don’t. You don’t want to be his rebound. But you should totally pursue that after a respectful time.”

“I’m not sure there is an acceptable timeframe for a situation like this. Besides, what makes you think I want to be with Killian?”

“Only that you blush every time you talk about him. I saw the look of longing in your eyes the first time you told me about him. You were genuinely disappointed that he had a girlfriend, and even more so that he was with Milah.”

“Well, Milah is more a part of my life than he is, so if there are sides to this breakup, I’m on hers. I guess I should call her and see how she’s doing. Maybe I could bring Henry by this afternoon.”

“Oh! Let me come. I want to meet her.”

“Yeah, but isn’t that weird? ‘Hey Milah, we’re here to cheer you up, and, by the way, this is my friend Ruby?’”

“It’s not weird. You said she owns a vintage clothing shop, right? Maybe I want to do some shopping.”

“Alright, fine. You can come. Let me get cleaned up and go pick up Henry. We’ll go after he has lunch and takes a nap. I know he says he doesn’t need them anymore, but I’m sure he and Roland have been up since six AM.”

“Sounds good. I should probably get some sleep too. I’ll see you later.”

“How much sleep did you get last night?”

“Maybe a couple hours in between 'sessions’ with Victor. He doesn’t let me rest very much.” She gave Emma a playful wink.

Emma smiled at her friend. “Go get some sleep. I’ll see you later.”

* * *

Emma parked the Bug outside of Milah’s shop that afternoon, Ruby in the passenger seat and Henry in the back. Ruby helped Henry get out, and he walked between the two women, holding their hands and attempting to swing from their arms. Emma opened the door to the shop and led them inside. Milah saw them instantly.

“Emma!” She said with a warm smile. “So good of you to come by.”

“Milah,” Emma said, “this is my best friend, Ruby. She heard you run a vintage shop and insisted on coming along.”

“I’m glad to have you,” Milah said, taking Ruby’s hand in hers. “You seem like you have an incredible sense of style. Feel free to have a look around.”

“It’s so good to meet you too,” Ruby said.

Henry tugged on her arm then. “Aunt Ruby! Don’t forget about me!”

Milah knelt down then and looked at Henry. “No one could ever forget about you, dear boy.” He smiled and lept into her arms, giving her a big hug.

Ruby stepped away to look around the store, and Milah led Emma and Henry to a sitting area on one side of the shop. Henry was not satisfied with this arrangement, and ran back toward Ruby. Emma let him, and turned to Milah. “How are you doing?” she asked.

“I suppose you were with Liam when he got my call, weren’t you? I appreciate your concern, dear, but I am doing fine. I know it’s only been a day, but I feel truly free for the first time in a long time. Liam always accused Killian and I of staying together simply because we were afraid of being alone. I am seeing now just how right he was. Being alone, it’s scary, but also exhilarating. I am planning a trip to the NY fashion week this fall, and I have been looking into some fashion design classes around here.”

“I think you’d be a great designer!” Emma said encouragingly.

“Thank you. I feel like part of my life has been wasted, and I’m making up for lost time.”

“Don’t call it wasted,” Emma said. “But I am happy that you are looking into things to make yourself happy. I am sorry to hear about you and Killian, though.”

Milah smiled, but looked as if she was holding something back. “It’s for the best. We weren’t right for each other. I’m sorry about abruptly ending your date with Liam. Did you have a good time until then?”

“We did, but he seemed to lose interest toward the end. I don’t think you ruined anything. I never intended for it to be anything serious.”

Milah glanced over at Henry, who was hiding in the clothes racks and popping out to surprise Ruby. She cheerfully played along, pretending to be more startled each time. “When do you think we can tell him more about who I am?” she asked.

“Well, I don’t like withholding information. Lies always make me uncomfortable. So how does now sound?”

Milah’s blue eyes lit up with joy. Emma called Henry over to where they were sitting.

“Henry,” Emma began.

“Yes mama?”

“Do you remember how I told you I was going to find your dad?”

“Yeah! Did you find him?”

“No baby, not yet, but I will, I promise. But I did find his mommy, your grandma.”

“I have a grandma?” he said with excitement.

“Yes, Miss Milah is your grandma,” she said, pointing to Neal’s mother.

“Cool!” Henry said, moving over to Milah and giving her an exuberant hug. The older woman’s eyes were misty with tears as she embraced her grandson. She looked at Emma and mouthed 'thank you.’

They ended up having supper with Milah at the same diner as before, Ruby joining them. It was a good afternoon. Henry immediately took to calling Milah 'Grandma,’ which she seemed to relish in. They walked into the lobby of their apartment building, Henry yawning and rubbing his eyes. Ruby pushed the button for the elevator and they waited in silence. A few moments later the doors pinged, and a few people stepped out. Emma was heading toward the car, when Ruby grabbed her arm and held her back.

“Ruby, what are you doing?” Emma asked. Then she heard a voice behind her. His voice.

“Emma?”

She turned as gracefully as she could and faced him. “Killian. I heard what happened. How are you?”

“I’ve been better. But I just signed on to sublet an apartment in this building, so things are looking up.”

“You’re gonna live here?” Henry asked, his sleepiness suddenly gone. “We live here!”

Killian looked shocked. “You live here?”

“Yeah…that’s kind of why we were standing in the lobby, waiting for the elevator.”

“I live here too,” Ruby said, holding her hand out to Killian. “I’m Ruby. Emma’s best friend.”

He took her hand and shook it, somewhat in a daze. “Killian, pleasure to meet you.”

Henry could hardly contain himself. “You have to come over some time! I have a pirate ship set! I’ll let you be the captain!”

Killian smiled at Henry. “Aye lad, how could I refuse?”

“When are you moving in?”

“On Friday. Apartment number 305.”

“Well, we’ll drop by on Saturday then,” Emma said.

“Let’s all do dinner Saturday night!” Ruby said. “My granny owns a restaurant, so I can get a lasagna from her. Emma, can you bring a salad and bread? And Killian, could you do drinks? In addition to hosting, that is.”

“I’ll bring my pirate ship!” Henry added.

“Um, sure, I can do that. That sounds nice.”

“Great, we’ll see you then!”

“Looking forward to it.” He stepped away and left the building. Ruby pressed the elevator button again. The doors opened immediately.

“Dinner?” Emma scowled at her best friend as they stepped into the car.

“Give the guy a break,” Ruby replied. “He just broke up with his girlfriend and is moving to a new place. He could use some friends.”

“Uh-huh. And that’s all you want to happen between he and I? Friendship?”

“Of course.” Her eyes sparkled again. A moment later the doors opened. “Well, here’s my floor. Goodnight Emma. Goodnight Henry.” She bent down to give the little boy a hug.

“Don’t think you’re getting out of this so easily,” Emma said. “We will discuss this some more later.”

“Emma, you’ve really got to stop obsessing over Killian,” Ruby replied with a wink, just as the doors closed.

Emma hung her head in defeat. Henry looked up at her. “Mama,” he asked. “What does obsessing mean?”


	6. Chapter 6

Monday morning, just after she parked the Bug at Henry’s daycare, Emma’s phone rang. She didn’t recognize the number.

“Hello?”

_“Miss Swan.”_

“Mr. Gold.”

_“Yes.”_

Conversation with this man was painful. At this pace, it would take forever to wrap up this call. She opened her mouth, ready to cut to the chase, when he beat her to it.

_“I’ve heard from my son. He wishes to meet his child. This will not be done in a public place, as there are still some outstanding warrants for his arrest. I will select the location and send you the details. You are not to share this information with anyone, particularly your friend Detective Nolan.”_

Emma was stunned. “How did you…”

_“I have my ways, Miss Swan. Do you agree to these terms?”_

“Hell no! I’m not going to some random location with my son and no one knowing our whereabouts.”

“Mommy!” Henry scolded. “Hell is a bad word!”

_“Nice to see my grandson isn’t as uncivilized as his mother.”_

“Listen buddy,” Emma said through gritted teeth. “You don’t get to judge me or my parenting ability. If Neal wants to meet Henry, he’s going to have to face some public exposure. I am not going along with your suggestion. And I don’t appreciate you stalking me. You may be some rich lawyer, but you are not above the law.”

_“No one is stalking you. I did some due diligence to make sure you were who you said you were. That included investigating your acquaintances. Trust me, I have committed no crime.”_

This man was infuriating. How did Milah stay with him so long? That thought gave her an idea. “I’ll meet him if Milah can come with me. And if I can share the location with my friend Regina.”

Gold was silent for a few minutes.  _“Fine,”_ he said with a groan.  _“But my philandering ex-wife cannot bring her pathetic Irish boyfriend.”_

“Deal,” Emma replied. “When and where?”

_“Sunday evening at 5:00. I will send you the location details that morning. Only your friend Regina can know the location. You and your son will not be in danger.”_

“And Milah?”

_“No harm will come to Milah this week.”_

His words made Emma uneasy, but she agreed and ended the call.

She got out of the car and helped Henry out of his seat. They walked inside, and were met by Mary Margaret at the entrance to the classroom. “Good morning you two! How are you doing?” Henry’s teacher was always upbeat, even early on a Monday.

“I’m alright,” Emma replied, “other than just having one of the strangest conversations of my life a moment ago.”

“What happened?”

Recalling Gold’s warning about not letting David know, Emma hesitated. “Neal’s father called me back. Nothing yet, but he was very cryptic. That man is kind of creepy.”

“Oh, that’s not a good way to start the week. Hope your days starts looking up.”

“Thanks Mary Margaret.” Emma looked for Henry, who had already run off to play with his friends. “I’ll see you later, kid!”

“Bye mom!” Henry replied without even looking her way.

Emma turned to leave, but her friend stopped her. “Hang on a minute. Are you guys available to come over for dinner tomorrow night?”

“On a Tuesday? I don’t know. We had a crazy weekend, and I really need to get Henry back on his routine.”

“Oh please! We really want you guys over.”

“We were just there a couple weeks ago.” Emma looked suspiciously at her friend. Mary Margaret was never good at keeping secrets. “What’s the real reason?”

The petite brunette looked sheepishly at the floor. “Okay, you got me. David told me you met his partner Graham the other day. I was hoping to have you and Henry over for dinner the same night as Graham. Kind of an informal date. That was actually the motivation behind the last invite, but Graham had to cancel last minute.”

“A setup? Really?”

“Come on Emma! David told me how you and Graham were looking at each other when you met. He’s a really good guy, and  _so_  good looking. And he’s interested in you. Why not take a chance? This could be your happy ending!”

“Henry is my happy ending. I don’t want to date until he’s older.”

“But Ruby told me you went on a date this past weekend.”

“Of course she told you about that. It was a date, but not really. And besides it didn’t go anywhere. I’m not interested in a relationship right now.”

“What are you so afraid of, Emma?”

“You know my story. I have every reason to be afraid of opening up to someone.”

Mary Margaret looked physically in pain. She always seemed uncomfortable when talking about Emma’s past. Almost as if she felt guilty on behalf of all the people who’d done her friend wrong. “Please, Emma,” she asked in a more subdued tone. “If not for yourself, then for me and David. It’s just dinner.”

Emma hated upsetting her friend. She heaved a deep sigh and said “Alright, I’ll be there. But you have to let me bring something.”

Mary Margaret’s chipper demeanor returned almost instantly. “You can get dessert!” Another parent walked in then. The classroom was starting to fill up. “6:00 tomorrow night, okay?”

“We’ll be there.”

* * *

Monday morning, Liam went with Killian to his flat- no, not his, Milah’s flat, and helped pack up his things. Beyond his clothing and a few electronics, he really had no personal possessions. It was a good thing that the apartment he’d rented was furnished. Liam helped him take these things to a storage unit, since the younger Jones could not move into his new place until later that week. In the meantime, he packed a suitcase with the basics and settled into a hotel room. It was not as plush as Liam’s accommodations, but it was the best Killian could afford.

Liam left that afternoon on a train to New York. Unused to being alone, Killian was at a loss for what to do with himself. Just as he was about to call Milah and beg her to have dinner with him, Rob called.

“Hey Mate!” He answered, thankful for the interruption.

_“Killy, what are you doing tonight?”_

Killian cringed. Rob was Liam’s old school friend and had picked up the annoying nickname Liam insisted on perpetuating. “I’d prefer it if you didn’t call me that. But to answer your question, I am doing nothing.”

_“Great. Why don’t we meet for a pint? Catch up since it’s been a while? After all, I went out on a limb and vouched for you on that sublet. Need to make sure I’m not about to burn a bridge.”_

“Come on mate, have more faith in me than that.”

Rob chuckled.  _“Fair enough. Head over to the pub. I’ll be along in a bit.”_

Grateful for a chance to get out of his own head, Killian grabbed his wallet and headed to the pub. He was only there about twenty minutes, still working on his first beer, when Rob walked in.

“Good to see you,” Killian said.

“Likewise.” Rob sat at the table and motioned for the server. After he’d ordered his beer, he turned back to Killian. “I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch lately. Life has just become so busy with Roland and now Regina.”

“No need to apologize, mate. Congratulations, by the way, on your marriage. I’d love to meet your wife someday.”

“You’ll have to come over for dinner. Perhaps after you get settled in your new place?”

“I’d like that. Thank you for helping me find that. I’m sure I would have been searching for weeks if you hadn’t helped out.”

“Glad to do it. The current occupant is an old friend of mine, Will. We met when I lived in that building.”

“You lived there?”

“Indeed. Marian and I bought the apartment with a settlement we received from her father’s estate.”

“And you still own it?”

“Yes, Emma’s renting it now.”

“You know Emma?”

“Well of course. Didn’t Liam tell you he met her at our house?”

“He told me he met her while he was having dinner with you and Regina. I assumed it was at a restaurant and she just happened to be there.”

“Even your revered older brother doesn’t have that much skill with women,” Rob said with a chuckle. “Honestly, I was surprised he asked her out.”

“Why do you say that?”

“She just doesn’t seem his type. In truth, I feel like you would be a better match for her. Now that you’ve broken up with Milah, perhaps you should pursue Emma. She might kill me if she knew I said this, but she could use someone in her life to care for her.”

Killian sputtered a bit after hearing these words. “I…I just broke things off with Milah. I’m not quite ready to pursue a new relationship.”

“Fair point,” Rob said. “It’s likely for the best. Emma is important to Regina and myself. I only want her to be with someone who won’t hurt her. You’re probably not ready for that.”

“Hang on there, mate. Sounds like you are insulting my honor as a gentleman. If I were to pursue Emma, I would never do anything to hurt her.”

“I’m glad to hear of it. Maybe later, if the timing is right. Now, then, let’s order some food.”

* * *

Despite the inauspicious start, Monday was a good day for Emma. She wrapped up a case she’d put on hold the previous week while pursuing Chad. Ashley started, and ended up being a huge help in the office. Leroy told Emma she was off the payroll officially since she was doing so well with her case load and Ashley had already proven herself. Emma was filling a niche in the office, pursuing cases that Mu and the other agents considered too “small time.” They weren’t as lucrative, but they were usually easy to resolve, and the money she made from them added up quickly. I was all rather mundane, which affirmed Emma’s original assessment that working in the bail bonds industry was much more exciting on TV and in movies.

Taking advantage of her newfound job flexibility, Emma left early on Tuesday afternoon after she wrapped up another case. She was looking forward to a few hours to herself before picking up Henry. She went to the grocery store and picked up the ingredients to make chocolate cupcakes. Emma didn’t bake very often. She’d never learned to bake as a child; no had taken the time to show her. But during the two years she’d lived with Neal, they’d had a neighbor, Mr. Perkins, who took a liking to Emma. He was a widower and said his grandkids never came to visit. Perkins owned a bakery in his younger years, and he shared some of this knowledge with Emma. Baking was now a soothing ritual for Emma, and she thought of Mr. Perkins every time she did.

Arriving back home, she calculated that she had two and a half hours before she had to leave to get Henry. Plenty of time. She went into their small kitchen and got to work. She was quite happy with the finished creations. The recipe was based on her favorite hot beverage: chocolate cupcakes with whipped icing and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Mary Margaret and Henry both loved them, and thinking of their joy upon seeing these made Emma smile. She left the cupcakes on the counter as she went to her room to change. After she was satisfied with her appearance, she re-entered and began looking for the cupcake carrier. It was a Christmas present from Mary Margaret. It didn’t get much use, but Emma knew her friend would notice if she brought the cupcakes over without using it.

Henry was excited to see her when she came to pick him up. She didn’t see Mary Margaret, and asked one of the other teachers where her friend was.

“She left a little while ago. I think she’s sick.”

“Oh. I’ll give her a call. Thanks.” Emma was concerned about her friend, but also felt a little excited that she might not have to be a part of the setup. It wasn’t that she disliked Graham. She agreed that he was very good looking. She just didn’t like being set up.

Once they were in the car, and Henry was gushing excitedly about the cupcakes, Emma pulled out her phone and dialed her friend.

_“Hi Emma! You on your way?”_

“Well, one of the other teachers said you went home sick today, so I was calling to check on you first.”

_“Oh, that was nothing. I’m fine now.”_

“Are you sure?”

_“Positive. Head on over.”_

“Okay…see you soon.” Emma hung up, buckled her seat belt, started the car, and headed to the Nolan’s house.

Mary Margaret and David didn’t live far from the daycare, and Emma arrived shortly after she’d ended her call. Her friends lived in a cute townhouse. There was no driveway or garage, and Emma had to park in the street. That was her least favorite thing about this location, but she shrugged it off and walked around the car to help Henry out and grab the cupcakes.

David answered the door before she could even knock. “Hey guys! Glad you could make it.”

“Hi Uncle Davey!” Henry said. David leaned down for a hug, and Henry responded by wrapping his arms around the man’s neck and lifting his feet from the ground. He dangled for a moment before David laughed and picked the boy up.

“Sir Henry! My little knight! Have you been practicing your swordsmanship?”

“No,” Henry pouted. “Mommy took my toy sword from me.”

Henry had a sword made of foam, which David had given him last Christmas. Emma didn’t like her son having something that was designed to harm others, even if it was only made of foam, and she’d confiscated it and stored it on the top shelf of her closet. Hearing this now, David looked appalled.

“Emma,” he said. “How is he supposed to become a proper knight if he doesn’t practice his skills?”

“He can have it back when he’s a little older. It’s not a toy meant for a four-year old.”

Henry looked sad, but David whispered something in his ear. The boy immediately perked up and begged to be let down. He ran to the living room as soon as he was free.

“What’d you say to him?” Emma asked.

“Just that I have wooden swords in the living room.”

“Oh, that’s great David. Let’s take away the foam weapon and give him one made of wood.”

“I won’t let him take it home. I just thought maybe he and I could practice in the backyard for a bit. If he learns proper use of a sword, he won’t use it to hit others.”

“You sure?” Emma looked at him skeptically.

“I am. My brother and I had toy swords when we were his age, and neither of us were permanently scarred. And I can guarantee you that he and I were much harder on one another with those than Henry could ever be.”

“Fine,” Emma conceded. “How is James, by the way?” James was David’s twin brother. She’d only met him twice. They were as different personality-wise as two brothers could be.

“He’s fine. Living in LA. Engaged to some rich guy’s daughter, but I’m pretty sure it’s just part of a deal so he can become partner in his firm.”

“Well…good for him.”

They walked into the living room, where a very excited Henry was showing the swords to Mary Margaret and Graham.

“Can we go practice, Uncle Davey?”

“Absolutely!” He nodded to his wife. “Let us know when you want us back in to eat.”

“Will do,” Mary Margaret said with a smile. No sooner had the back door closed then she looked to Emma and Graham and said “well, I have a lot to do. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.”

“Wait!” Emma walked toward her friend and handed her the cupcake carrier. “Do you need any help?”

“Oh, no, I’m good. You stay here and keep Graham company.”

She hurried away then. Emma smiled awkwardly at the very obvious setup. She walked over to the couch and sat at the end, near the chair Graham was occupying. Graham looked just as uncomfortable as she did.

“So…” she began. “It’s good to see you again.”

“You too,” he said. “How is your job going?”

She smiled and relaxed a little. “It’s going good.” She talked to him about her job, and he reciprocated, telling her how he’d come to join the Boston police department and worked his way up to detective. His manner was easy, and she found talking with him was very enjoyable.

When the conversation came to a lull, she decided to change the subject. “Did David try to hide the fact that this was a setup from you? Mary Margaret tried to with me.”

Graham laughed. “The first time he did. Then I had to cancel because I got called in for a case, and he told me everything the following day. He didn’t make any pretenses this time.”

“How long have you known David?”

“A few years, but not well. We’ve only been partners for a month.”

“And he’s not scaring you off with these setups?”

“So far it’s only been you, and I can’t really complain.”

His comment made her blush involuntarily. “They’re always trying to set me up. I love them, but it can be annoying.”

Her comment seemed to offend him. He looked wounded. “I don’t want to be a source of irritation, even indirectly.”

“Oh, no, I didn’t mean it like that. You’re not irritating me at all. I’m having a good time.”

His face relaxed. “Sorry if I overreacted.”

She gave him a smile. “I’m not always the most eloquent person.”

“Would you like to have dinner sometime? Maybe free from the well-meaning intentions of our mutual friends?”

Emma paused. She meant what she’d said the day before. She didn’t want to date until Henry was older. But she really liked Graham. And she suddenly realized that she hadn’t thought of Killian all day. Going out with Graham might help cure her of this unhealthy attraction to Milah’s ex. “Yeah,” she replied. “I’d like that.”

* * *

The day had come to move into his new apartment. Killian rented a truck and loaded it up with all his possessions, which fit in five boxes. Looking at the small remnants of his life. He felt more lost that he ever had during his time in the Navy, or when he and Liam were diving on shipwrecks and camping on strange beaches. The more time he spent without Milah, the more he realized how much of himself he’d lost in the last ten years.

The other times he and Milah had broken up never felt like this. He would spend the first few days pursuing meaningless unions with other women and drowning his sorrows in a bottle. The longest they were ever apart was six months, and that was only because he took a job as a guest lecturer at a school in South Carolina. This time Killian was trying to do better. He was abstaining from rum and avoiding other women. Part of him knew that he was doing this because he didn’t want to ruin his chances with Emma. He couldn’t stop thinking about her after his conversation with Rob. 

He and Rob had never spent much time together, despite living in the same city for so many years. Liam and Rob were three years older than Killian, and Rob had moved to the States long before Killian. He found now, however, that he was glad to have a friend in the city. He enjoyed Rob’s company and looked forward to growing their friendship. And he was flattered that Rob thought he might be a good fit for Emma.

He pulled up in front of the building and began unloading his possessions. He’d had classes and office hours all day, and so only had one more hour of sunlight to complete his move. Trying to rush things, he stacked two boxes on top of each other and headed for the door. It wouldn’t open for him. He realized with a groan that he needed his key card to open the door, which he’d left in the truck. He turned to head back, without unloading his arms. He missed the step down from the curb and went tumbling forward, falling painfully on the boxes.

“You alright?” a voice called out.

“Aye, everything seems to be in tact,” Killian replied. The other man extended his hand and helped Killian up. The boxes were crushed, but not ruined. And they were still taped shut.

“Would you like some help with those?”

“Yes, that would be much appreciated.” He held our his arm for a handshake. “Killian Jones.”

“Graham Humbert. Nice to meet you.”

“You’re Irish. What part? I was born in Dublin.”

“Belfast.”

“Oh, well I won’t hold it against you,” Killian said with a smirk. “Let me run to the truck and get the key card.”

Graham picked up a box, and Killian came carrying one more. He opened the doors and with Graham’s help got all the boxes into the lobby.

“When did you move in?”

“Today,” Killian replied. “These are all the possessions I own.”

“That’s it?”

“I’m starting over.”

“Ah, I see. Bad breakup?”

“Aye.” With Graham’s help, Killian got all the boxes into his apartment. “I’m glad I ran into you, mate. I would have had a much more difficult time without your help. Can I buy you a pint to thank you?”

“Maybe some other time. I’m actually here to pick up a date.”

“You don’t live here, then? Well, don’t let the neighbors know I let a stranger in.”

“It’s alright, I’m a cop,” Graham said with a grin.

“That’s a relief. Well, I’ll let you get to your date.”

“Thanks, it was nice to meet you,” Graham replied. He pulled out his phone to exchange numbers with Killian, but noticed he had an incoming call. “Emma, hi,” Graham answered. “I’ll be there in a moment. Sorry for the delay. I ran into a new neighbor of yours that needed some help moving his things in.” He paused, listening to her. “Yes, his name is Killian. Do you know each other? I’ll tell him you say hello. See you shortly.”

Killian stiffened upon hearing this conversation. This man was here to take Emma out on a date. Despite his claims to Rob earlier in the week that he wasn’t ready for a relationship, he felt jealousy coursing through his veins. Killian wanted to be the one taking Emma out. He tried hard to school his features before Graham ended the call.

“It appears you know my date, Emma. Small world, eh?”

“It would appear so.”

“We’ll get that pint another time. Have you a good night, Killian.”

“Aye, you too, Graham.”

As soon as the door was shut, Killian slumped against it. For the first time in a week, he regretted taking this apartment.


	7. Chapter 7

He was going to be there in 30 minutes, and Emma had no idea what to wear. She didn’t want to dress too provocative and give him the wrong idea, but she also didn’t want to look too matronly. She let out a grunt of frustration. She heard Mary Margaret laugh and say something to Henry before walking into Emma’s room.

“I’m sure whatever you wear, you’ll look great. Just be comfortable.”

“Are you sure you’re good with watching Henry? You spend all day with kids. I wouldn’t blame you if you avoided them in your off time.”

“It’s no problem. I am happy to help. David says this is my penance for trying to be a matchmaker, but I will happily pay it. Besides, I’m going to need practice.”

“Practice for what? You’re a preschool teacher. You’ve seen it all.”

“Yes, but I work with groups of kids. I’m going to need more practice handling a kid one on one.”

“Wait…are you saying what I think you’re saying? Are you pregnant?”

“Yes!” Mary Margaret said, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “You’re not supposed to say anything until after the first trimester is over, but you know I can’t keep a secret. I made a deal with David that I could tell you, but we are keeping it secret from everyone else for now.”

“I’m so happy for you guys!” Emma walked across the room and wrapped her arms around her friend. “When are you due?”

“October 23rd.”

“That’s my birthday.”

“I know! You and Baby Nolan will be birthday buddies. But don’t tell Henry yet. Four-year olds are worse at keeping secrets than I am.”

Emma gave her friend a warm smile. “Lucky for you, I can keep a secret. I am so very happy for you. Have you thought of any names?”

“Well, if it’s a girl, we want to name her Ava Ruth, after our mothers.”

“That’s beautiful. What about if it’s a boy?”

“I like Leopold, after my father, but David says we’d set our son up for a lifetime of ridicule if we name him that.”

“I have to agree with your husband.”

“Where’d you get Henry’s name?”

“A neighbor I used to have, Mr. Perkins. The one who taught me to bake. His first name was Henry. He was one of the first people to really care for me. I looked for him after I got out, but he died about a year after Henry was born.”

“Oh Emma. I’m so sorry.” Mary Margaret pulled her friend into a comforting embrace.

“It’s ok. I mourned for him already. He was a good man, and I have my memories.” She pulled away and looked at her bed, which was littered with nearly her entire wardrobe. “For now I need to figure out what to wear for this date. Do you think it’s too late to cancel?”

“Don’t you dare!” Mary Margaret scolded. She reached into the pile and fished out a pink dress. “This is nice.”

“No way,” Emma replied. “Mu bought me that dress for a sting she set up. I am not wearing that on a real date.”

Emma finally settled on dark jeans, a silk blouse, and her black boots. It was casual, but still dressy enough. Mary Margaret approved, and Henry said “you look pretty mama!” She smiled at her son and looked at the clock. Graham was five minutes late. Despite her earlier reluctance, Emma was mad at him. She grabbed her phone and dialed his number.

“Graham. Where are you?” She paused, listening to his response, “You did? Would his name happen to be Killian? Yes, I know him. No, you don’t- Okay. See you soon.”

She hung up and immediately her anxiety returned.

“Killian?” Mary Margaret asked. “Isn’t that Milah’s boyfriend?”

“Ex-boyfriend,” Emma corrected. “Did I forget to tell you they broke up?”

“You must have, because I wouldn’t have set you up with Graham if I knew Killian was single.”

“You too? Why does everyone want me to be with Killian?”

“Because you are obviously attracted to him, which is a rare enough occurrence to make it significant.”

“Well, I’m gonna have to get past it. He’s living in this building now. If there wasn’t reason enough to avoid getting involved with him before, there certainly is now.”

“Okay. Just so you you know, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Do me a favor and let Graham down easy. He is a good guy.”

“Stop that talk. You’re not helping.” Emma was ready to continue her argument, when she heard a knock on the door. She opened it to see Graham standing there.

“Emma, you look lovely. A thousand apologies for being late.”

Emma softened upon hearing his sweet words. “Don’t worry about it. You were doing a good deed.”

“Hello Mary Margaret. Henry.”

Henry turned around and leaned over the back of the couch. He gave Graham a critical look, looking much older than his four years. After a moment of intense silence, he finally spoke. “Do you like boats?”

“Um… I’ve never given it much thought. I have nothing against them. Just haven’t spent much time on them.”

“So…” Henry asked. “Do you like them?”

Emma laughed nervously. “Henry, go easy on him.”

“Okay mommy,” he replied, giving her a toothy grin.

She walked over and gave him a kiss on the forehead. “Be good.”

“Yes mommy. I love you.”

“Love you too kid.”

“Have fun!” Mary Margaret said as Emma and Graham walked out of the apartment and headed toward the elevator.

* * *

Killian felt more nervous than he had in a long time. Ruby, Emma, and Henry would be arriving within the hour. He’d spent the morning scrubbing the small apartment from top to bottom and rearranging the furniture to suit his liking. This Will fellow liked sleek, modern furnishings. They weren’t really Killian’s style, but they would serve the purpose.

He set out a few two-liter bottles of soda and a jug of sweet tea he’d found at the grocery store. He knew that sweet tea was not the beverage of choice in the northern part of the US, but he’d become addicted to the stuff when he lived in South Carolina. Milah never liked it. She always said that it was a waste of good tea leaves. Now that he was living on his own, he’d indulged himself and bought a jug. He got out three tall glasses and one plastic cup, picked up especially for the occasion. It was not specifically designed for children, but it had a sailboat on it, and he couldn’t help but think of Henry when he saw it. And he figured it wasn’t a bad idea for the lad to have a plastic cup, just in case.

He stood in the middle of the kitchen and looked down at his outfit for the tenth time since he’d changed. He was trying very hard to draw a balance between dressy and casual. He’d gone for dark jeans and a black button down shirt. It was more open at the collar than he preferred, mostly due to the fact that he felt overheated. The temperature in the room was comfortable, but his internal temperature spiked because of nerves. He couldn’t help but wonder all day, and truly the entire night prior, how Emma’s date had gone. Graham seemed like a decent fellow. He feared that Emma would fall for the detective and end all of his own hopes.

He was roused from these musings by a knock at the door. He jumped, looking at the clock and realizing it was already 5:30. He opened the door and found Emma and Henry standing there.

“Killian! I brought my pirate ship. You can be the Captain. Can we play?”

“Hang on Henry,” Emma said. “Let’s get inside and get settled first.” She turned to look at Killian. “I’m sorry we’re a bit early. He was so excited about coming over here. If it’s too soon, we can go back to our apartment for a bit longer.”

“No, no. I am glad to have you both. Although it may be a while before we can eat, depending on when Ruby gets here.”

“No problem. I bought snacks,” She said, holding up a grocery bag.

“Henry, lad, can you go set up the pirate ship by the couch? I’ll help your mother put the food away and be right there.”

“Aye aye, captain!” Henry said.

Killian showed Emma to the kitchen and helped her put away the salad, loaf of garlic bread, and bag of frozen mozzarella sticks. He started the oven to heat up the cheese sticks and pulled out a sheet pan, setting it on the counter. He looked up to find Emma standing close enough that he could feel her breath on his skin. He paused for a moment, unable to speak as his eyes searched hers.

“You alright, love?”

She looked nervous and frozen in place. She gestured behind him. “I was going to grab the bag of mozzarella sticks.”

“Oh, yes. Of course.” He stepped aside and began anxiously scratching behind his ear.

Once the appetizer was in the oven, they moved to the living room to join Henry. Emma sat on the couch while Killian joined Henry on the floor. They were caught up in their story when he heard the kitchen timer go off.

“That’s the mozzarella sticks,” Emma said. “I’ll get them. You guys keep playing.”

He heard her in the kitchen, preparing the appetizer. She opened and closed more than a few cabinets and drawers, getting her bearings, but she didn’t call out for help. He was glad, as he will still learning where everything was and wasn’t sure he’d be of much help. She walked back out and set down a plate with the sticks and a cup of marinara sauce on the coffee table.

“Mommy, can I have a drink?”

“Of course sweetie. Let’s go in the kitchen and see what Mr. Killian has.”

They retreated back to the kitchen just as there was another knock on the door. “That’ll be Ruby,” Killian called to them. “I’ll get it.”

He opened the door and let the other lass in. She was stunningly beautiful, but Killian could only see her as a friend. She burst through the door, filling the room with energy as she brandished an aluminium tray with what he assumed must be the lasagna, along with a square-shaped box.

“Sorry I’m late!” She said in a rush. “Granny hired a new night manager, Dorothy, and she gave me such a hard time about taking the lasagna. Said we were stealing profits. As if Granny doesn’t throw out at least one of these every week. I bought a pie to appease her, so we have dessert!”

“Yum!” Emma said, coming from the kitchen. “What kind?”

“Apple,” Ruby replied.

Emma turned to Killian. “Do you have ice cream?”

“I don’t believe so.”

“Well, good thing I always keep some on hand. I’ll run down to my apartment and grab it.”

“Later, Emma!” Ruby scolded. “Let’s catch up now.”

They all walked into the kitchen. Henry grabbed his new cup and held it up. “Aunt Ruby! Look at this cool cup!”

“Very nice!” Ruby said. “It’s a sail boat. Are there any more cool cups like that?”

“I’m sorry, but no,” Killian said. “I saw that while I was at the store and thought Henry might like it, so I picked it up.”

“You got this cup special for me?” Henry asked. “He likes boats mommy! I like him better than the guy you had dinner with yesterday.”

Emma flushed. “Henry, it’s not polite to speak like that.”

“Like what?” he asked with a confused expression.

Before Emma could reply, Ruby interjected. “You had a date last night? How do I not know about this?”

“Because I bribed Mrs. Roberts to not say anything.”

“Sneaky…” Ruby said. “Tell me about him, who was he?”

“David’s new partner, Graham.” Emma’s eyes flashed nervously to Killian’s. “I can tell you more later.”

They managed to get the lasagna started, and moved into the living room to eat the mozzarella sticks. Ruby told them more about her encounter with Dorothy.

“She kept stalling me every time I tried to leave. I think she was flirting with me.”

“Could be,” Emma said. “Do you like her?”

“Honestly? Yes. I’ve dated other women before, but never seriously. But I could see myself in a relationship with her. Is that crazy? We just met.”

“Sometimes you just know,” Killian said, without thinking. He looked up to see Emma’s eyes. He could almost hear the thoughts in her head, screaming at her to retreat.

She stood up then. “I’m gonna go grab that ice cream.”

Ruby rolled her eyes. “Killian, go with her. Henry and I can play pirates while you two work out whatever is going on with you.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Emma said. Killian stood in silent shock.

“Of course you don’t,” Ruby replied. “But despite whatever crazy thoughts are going through your head, you and Killian need to have a long overdue conversation to address the chemistry between yourselves. So go up to your apartment, have it out, and come back here when you’re ready to have a pleasant dinner without all this sexual tension.”

“Seshual tension?” Henry asked. “What’s that?”

Before Emma could reprimand her friend, Ruby answered Henry. “It’s when two grown ups like each other, but are afraid of their feelings.”

“That’s silly,” Henry replied. “If they like each other, they should just be friends.”

“Listen to the kid,” Ruby said. She turned back to Henry. “Your mommy and Mr. Killian are going to have a grown up talk while you and I play some more pirates.”

“Awesome!”

* * *

Emma stood in her kitchen. Killian was in the living room. She’d never wanted to run away more in her life than at this moment. She was effectively trapped. Ruby had her son and wouldn’t let Emma take him home until she came to some sort of resolution with Killian. Ruby was very perceptive and would see through any attempts to deceive. Emma thought briefly of telling Ruby to go screw herself and taking Henry home, but then she’d have to deal with the fallout of losing her best friend and living in a building with a man who knew she’d rather break a friendship than talk about her feelings for him.

She took a deep breath and walked into the living room. “Would you like to sit down?” She asked, pointing to the couch.

He sat on the end closest to the door, and she occupied the other side. They both sat near the edge, putting as much distance as possible between themselves. The silence was deafening. Killian began scratching behind his ear again, which must be his nervous tick. Just when Emma thought she couldn’t take the quiet any longer, he spoke.

“I am attracted to you, Emma.”

“Well, I’m not going to lie. I was attracted to you when we first met. But then I found out you were dating Milah, and I tried to get past it. Is that why you broke up with Milah? Because you wanted to be with me?”

“No. She broke up with me because we always fought. And we want different things. I am trying to rediscover myself now that I’m on my own.”

His confession struck Emma, and she relaxed a little. She stood momentarily and settled down on the middle of the couch, closer to Killian. “I know what that’s like. I had to rebuild my life after I got out of jail.”

“How did you do it?”

“I had Henry. And Regina, though it took her and I a while to get to a friendly place. And then Ruby and Mu, and everyone else. I guess it takes time. Friends help.”

“I am finding that I don’t have many of those.”

“Friends? Well, I’ll be your friend. You’re a nice guy, Killian, and Henry really likes you.”

“Just friends?” He asked, turning toward her. One of his eyebrows cocked up nearly to his hairline and his eyes held a playful expression.

Was he actually flirting with her? She felt a traitorous thrill in her heart at the thought. Against her better judgment, she responded. “Please. You couldn’t handle it.”

“Perhaps you’re the one who couldn’t handle it,” he countered, giving her a challenging look.

She looked at him. He really was incredibly attractive. His eyes were a brilliant blue, contrasting perfectly with his dark hair. His lips looked soft and full, and she couldn’t stop herself from wondering how it would feel to run her fingers across his stubble. Without fully realizing what she was doing, she grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled his body to hers. Their lips collided in a deep kiss. She opened her mouth slightly and his tongue slipped through, gliding along her own. Her head moved and he moved with her, nipping at her lower lip. His hand came up to her head and tangled with the hair at the nape of her neck. She reciprocated, carding her fingers through the hair on the back of his head. They were perched on the edge of the couch, and she kept a tight grip on his shirt collar to keep herself from falling. The kiss was electric. She felt it all over, a warm, tingling feeling. It was better than any kiss she’d ever had. She wanted to be able to kiss him like this forever. At that thought, alarm bells went off in her head, and she pulled away, resting her forehead against his.

“That was…” he began.

She didn’t want him to speak and break the spell. She moved to capture his lips again with her own, but froze just millimeters from his mouth. She couldn’t do this, no matter how much she wanted it. So, instead, she finished his sentence. “A one-time thing,” she said against his mouth. She released his shirt collar and stood up, walking into the kitchen. “Go back to your place. I’ll be down in a bit. I just need to compose myself.”

“As you wish.” She heard him open the front door and exit, shutting it gently behind him.

Emma’s emotions came crashing down upon her. As a child, one of her favorite movies had been The Princess Bride. She’d always hoped for someone to say “as you wish” to her the way Westley had to Buttercup. The memory brought tears to her eyes as she replayed Killian’s voice saying that very line. It alternated with the lingering feelings from perhaps the best kiss of her life. The attraction she felt for Graham was nothing compared to this. It was overwhelming, all consuming. Every cell in her body called for Killian. She wanted to be with him forever. But the memories of Neal’s betrayal also played in her head. As much as she felt pain at the hurt Neal caused her, she knew it would be a thousand-times worse if Killian hurt her.

Fear won the battle among her warring emotions, and she began to harden herself against any further entreaties from Professor Jones.

* * *

Killian’s head was reeling as he stepped out of Emma’s apartment. He had gone from anxious and sad to flirtatious and hopeful in a matter of minutes. The kiss with Emma had been incredible. He could still feel a tingle on his lips. He reached up and softly touched them, letting out a long breath. She was a challenge. She obviously liked him, but feared the prospect of getting involved with him. He ran his fingers through his hair and walked toward the elevator as he agonized over what to do.

He returned to his flat to find Ruby and Henry on the couch, watching some cartoons.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Ruby said. “I found your Netflix account and put on a show for Henry.”

“Not at all,” Killian said.

Ruby looked at him quizzically. She stood up from the couch. Henry was engrossed in his show and didn’t even register her movement. Ruby grabbed Killian’s bicep and pulled him to the kitchen. “What happened? Where’s Emma?” She asked, keeping her tone low.

“Nothing. Emma just said she needed a minute and she’d be along shortly.”

She gave him a scrutinizing look. “No, there’s something you’re not saying. I can tell. I know we just met, but trust me, you don’t want to hide things from me. I have an uncanny ability to sniff them out.”

Her gaze made Killian uncomfortable, and he stared down at the floor. “She kissed me,” he said, in nearly a whisper.

The brunette’s mouth fell open in a wide gasp, but she quickly recovered. “Let me guess, she freaked out, told you it couldn’t happen again, and asked you to go ahead without her?”

“Yes…that’s nearly exactly what happened. How did you know?”

“I know Emma. She’ll come back in a bit, make up some lame excuse, and take Henry home. She won’t stay for dinner.”

“I expected as much. I do wish she would talk with me about her fears.”

“It takes a lot more to get her to open up. How was the kiss?”

Ruby’s frankness startled Killian, but he also found it refreshing. “It was bloody brilliant. I’ve never felt a connection like that.”

“Good. That’s good. She’ll come around. You have to give her space. Let her figure it out in her own head. But don’t disappear, either. She’s had enough abandonment.”

“So I need to stick around but give her space? That’s a bit contradictory.”

“I know. She’s a tough nut to crack, but she’s worth it.”

“Why are you helping me?”

“Because Emma never makes her own happiness a priority. She always puts everyone else first. She felt a connection with you the moment she met you, but she’s denying it because she thinks she is obligated to. Even though she is loath to admit it, she wants to be with you. I think you could make her happy. I’m pretty good at reading people.”

“Thank you, lass.” He sighed. “I never thought I could love someone like I loved my Milah, until I met Emma.”

“Definitely don’t tell her that yet,” Ruby laughed.

“Of course,” Killian said with a smile.

Emma came back a few minutes later and did just as Ruby predicted. After Emma and Henry left, Ruby helped him prepare two plates for the Swans and they carried them to her flat. He did not linger, just provided her the plates and bid her and her boy goodnight. Afterward, he and Ruby had a pleasant dinner. He quickly found she was becoming a great friend. They parted with a congenial hug.

“See you around, Jones,” she said.

“You too Lucas,” Killian replied with a smile. He was grateful to have a friend and ally in all this.

* * *

On Sunday morning Emma was awakened by a text from what she assumed was Gold’s number. It was just an address, nothing additional. She replied back to ask if that was the place for the meeting, but got no reply. She checked it out on the map. It was in the South End neighborhood, which surprised her. She’d expected this meeting to be in a shady part of town, not one of the most expensive places to live in Boston. She shrugged and forwarded the text to Regina. Regina was nervous about this plan, but went along with it. She’d bought a can of pepper spray and insisted Emma take it in case something bad happened. Emma knew how to take care of herself, but she appreciated Regina’s concern.

She looked at the clock and decided to go ahead and call Milah to update her. She’d told Milah about the conversation with Gold on Monday, and Milah had readily agreed to come along. Emma dialed the number and waited for an answer.

_“Hello?”_

“Milah, it’s Emma. I got the location from Gold. It’s some fancy place over in South End. Does that sound right to you?”

_“Yes, he owns a few properties in that neighborhood that he uses as short-term rentals for executives. He’s probably got Neal staying in one.”_

“He owns more than one property in South End? How rich is your ex?”

_“Too rich for his own good. But this is a good development. The location is upscale enough that he’ll probably want to keep a low profile. I don’t think he’ll try anything stupid today.”_

“I’m glad to hear that. We’re supposed to be there at 5:00. What time should Henry and I come by to get you?”

_“How about 4:00? And we’ll take my car.”_

“I don’t mind driving.”

_“I know, but Neal won’t know my car. Your Bug is very notable. Plus, I have a panic button on my key ring, so I can raise the alarm if need be. But I truly don’t believe it will come to that._

"Okay,” Emma conceded. “We’ll see you at 4:00.”

Emma and Henry spent the day tidying up and running errands. She willed herself not to think of Killian or the kiss they shared. It was hard, though, because Henry kept talking about how much he liked Killian. They were walking into the building after grocery shopping when they ran into the man himself.

“Swan,” he said as soon as he saw them.

“Killian. How are you?”

“Significantly better than when we met in this lobby last week.”

Had it only been a week ago? The past few days had been such a whirlwind. “Well, that’s good. We need to get these groceries unloaded. I’ll see you later?”

“Hang on, let me help.” He followed them into the elevator and pressed the button for her floor. As the car began to move, he looked at her. “Can we talk?”

She looked nervously at him. “I don’t know. I still have some chores to do, and we’ve got plans at 4:00.”

“It won’t take long. Let me help you put your groceries away?”

“Alright.” The elevator stopped on her floor and Killian followed her and Henry to their apartment. Henry was being unusually quiet, but Emma put that down to fatigue. She looked at the clock when they got in. It was 2:30. “Henry, go lay down and take a short nap. I don’t want you tired and angry when we see your grandma later today.”

“Yes mommy,” Henry said without any sign of protest. He must really be tired. He went to his room and closed the door. She would go check on him in a minute.

“You’ve got plans with Milah?” Killian asked.

“We do.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” He paused, and the tension in the room was palpable.

Despite her better intentions, Emma felt an overwhelming urge to kiss him. She rooted her feet to the ground, determined not to give in. She could take the tension no longer. “Killian…” she began, but he cut her off.

“I am sorry if things between us got awkward. I don’t regret anything I said, but I also don’t wish to pressure you in any way. I truly appreciate your offer of friendship, and I hope it is still available.”

She melted at his words. “It is. I meant what I said about you being a nice guy. I’d love to be your friend.” She extended her hand and he took it in a firm shake.

“Thank you,” he said as he pulled his hand back. “Well, I will let you get back to your chores. Please give Milah my regards.”

“I will.”

She was grateful that Killian left then, because her resolve was crumbling. He really was a good man. She was glad she had not acted on her more sensual urges. She hadn’t decided if she would tell Milah about the kiss, and a repeat performance would have complicated matters much further.


	8. Chapter 8

Milah parked her car in the street, a few houses down from the one in which Emma would see Neal again for the first time in 5 years. She was nervous, and Milah could tell. The older woman grabbed her hand and squeezed.

“I’m proud of you,” Milah said.

Emma scoffed. “Why?”

“Because you are doing something you obviously don’t wish to do for the sake of your son. You’re a good mother Emma. No matter what happens in there, I am so glad you found me and allowed me to be a part of yours and Henry’s lives.”

“Thank you,”‘Emma said, giving her a small smile. She hadn’t yet told Milah about the kiss with Killian, deciding that this was not the right time for it.

Henry was quiet in the back seat, taking in his surroundings. Emma had told him that she was taking him to meet his father, and the normally rambunctious boy was oddly silent at the prospect.

“You ready kid?” She asked, turning in her seat so she could face him.

“I don’t know, mommy.”

Her heart broke at the anxious look on his face. “What’s wrong, kiddo?”

His big brown eyes were watery. “Is my dad gonna hurt me?”

“No, sweetie. He won’t. Why do you think that?”

“You told Aunt Ruby that you didn’t want him to hurt me. You said he hurt you.”

She winced. She didn’t think he’d heard that conversation. “I didn’t mean it like that. Your dad would never try to hurt you, I promise. He’s going to love you.”

“What if he doesn’t?”

“Then he’s being stupid and I will tell him to stop being mean and play nice,” Milah said in a playful tone.

Henry giggled, probably at the word 'stupid.’ Emma and Milah got out of the car, and Emma helped Henry out of his booster seat. He walked between his mother and grandmother, holding their hands. Emma felt a huge sense of relief that Milah was here with them.

They walked along the street, marveling at the scenery. It was April, and spring was starting to bloom here. There were buds on the trees, fragile flowers just starting to peek out. It was absolutely beautiful, and she took a deep, calming breath to steady herself. They reached the house in question and she froze at the wrought iron gate. Milah gave her a soft smile and opened the gate, walking up the steps and ringing the bell without ceremony. Emma and Henry slowly ascended to stand behind her. They’d just reached the top step when the door opened and Neal appeared. He looked just as she remembered him. He didn’t appear to have aged much, but then she remembered she always thought he looked older than the 23 years he’d been when they’d met.

He didn’t speak, just stared at them both. Finally, he croaked out a small “mom?” and a few tears sprung to his eyes.

“Hello Neal,” Milah said softly.

“I didn’t know you were coming. I thought it would just be Emma.”

Emma bit her tongue to avoid letting out another scoff. Gold had known for nearly a week that Milah was coming, but he never told his son? What kind of game was this man playing?

“Can we come in, dear?” Milah asked, maintaining her calm tone.

“Oh, uh, yeah,” he said, opening the door wider and letting them in. His eyes lingered on Emma as she approached. He seemed afraid to look at Henry.

He led them into a sitting room and they perched on what looked to be very expensive antique furniture. Henry nervously clung to his mother.

Neal finally spoke again. “Hey, Ems. Nice to see you again.”

She wanted to bite back with a retort about how if he really wanted to see her again, he should have never abandoned her in the first place. But she didn’t want to have this conversation now, with Henry in the room. So instead, she gave her son a kiss on the forehead and spoke to him. “Henry,” she began. “This is your father, Neal.”

Henry looked tentatively at Neal, still glued to Emma’s side.

“Hey, champ,” Neal said. “I’ve really been looking forward to meeting you.”

“Really?” Henry asked.

“Yeah, bud. Ever since I learned about you, I’ve been really excited. I even got you something.” Neal lifted a gift wrapped box from the floor.

Henry’s eyes lit up at the gift. He looked to his mom, asking for permission. “Go ahead,” she said encouragingly. He walked toward the box, which Neal had set on the coffee table, and tore at the paper.

“A car?” he asked, unsure.

“Yeah, I hope you like cars. This is a remote-controlled car, which means you can make it drive by using the controller. I had one when I was a kid and I loved it.”

“Will you teach me how to use it?”

“I’d be happy to do that, buddy.”

Emma smiled to see her son enjoying a good first meeting with his father. She really, really hoped that Neal had changed and wouldn’t do anything to hurt Henry.

As she and Milah watched Neal and Henry un-box the car, she heard Gold enter the room. “Am I to assume that things are going well?” he asked.

Neal looked up. “Yeah, dad. They’ve only been here a bit, but I think Henry likes the present.”

Henry’s mood changed instantly once Gold came in. He seemed downright afraid of this new person. Emma wasn’t sure what to say, but fortunately Milah stepped in.

“Henry,” Milah began, “This is your daddy’s father, which makes him your grandfather.”

“Like you’re my grandmother?”

“Yes, sweetie, like that.”

“Are you married to him?”

“No, dear, we haven’t been married for a long time.”

“Your grandmother made some poor choices,” Gold replied, stepping further into the room and leaning on his cane.

Milah turned and shot him a hateful look. “Robert, please,” she said in a low tone, “Let’s not do this in front of the boy.”

Emma saw him clench his jaw, but he conceded and turned to Henry. “It is good to officially meet you, my boy.”

“Hi,” Henry replied.

They settled into a sort of peace, though the air was rife with tension. After a while, Gold turned to Emma. “Miss Swan, I’d like to ask my grandson a few questions, without you present.”

“What? Why?”

“I need to determine if you are an adequate mother to the boy.”

“Robert, really,” Milah interjected. “Emma’s a good mother. Anyone can see that he is a healthy, well adjusted boy.”

“Forgive me if I am reluctant to trust my cheating ex-wife.”

“Dad,” Neal spoke up. “Don’t do this.”

Gold was obviously unused to this much opposition, and he bristled accordingly. “Fine, but I do have some paperwork I need you to sign, Miss Swan.”

Emma sighed. “What kind of paperwork?” She was trying very hard to keep her cool, but this man was not making it easy.

“An affidavit establishing that Neal is Henry’s father. Since you did not list him on the birth certificate, he does not currently have any parental rights.”

She did not like the direction this conversation was taking. “Um…can we talk about this in another room?”

“Of course.” Gold stood up and walked to the doorway.

“Neal, I want you there too,” Emma said.

“I hardly think that is necessary,” Gold scoffed.

Emma disagreed. She’d seen how Gold backed down when Neal asked him to. She needed an ally if she was going to discuss legal matters with this man. “If we are talking about parental rights, Neal needs to be part of that discussion.”

“Henry,” Milah said, taking her cue, “can you show me how your car works? I used to enjoy playing with these when your father was a boy.”

Henry gladly obliged, and Emma, Neal, and Gold stepped into the formal dining room on the other side of the foyer. Gold reached out to the door frame and pulled out some pocket doors, closing them off from the rest of the house.

Emma rounded on Neal. “I haven’t seen you in 5 years, after you set me up to take the fall for your criminal activities, and your first move is to try and petition for custody of my son?!”

Neal winced. “Calm down, Ems. I don’t want custody, but I want visitation rights. And I didn’t mean to set you up. I had no idea you even went to jail until my dad called me.”

“So, what, you just accidentally planted enough cocaine in my suitcase to send me away for two years? And decided to disappear days before the cops show up to search our place? You just abandoned me, Neal. I had no idea what happened to you. The cops squeezed me for information for over a week before they accepted that I had no clue where you were.”

“I was gonna come back for you, but I had to wait. August got pinched and I knew he was going to squeal to the cops about me. I had to leave town fast. I knew too much about the supplier. They would have killed me before they’d let me get arrested and make a deal to sell them out.”

“I don’t want your excuses,” she replied. She noticed that Gold was just standing in the corner, an eerie grin on his face, as if he enjoyed witnessing discord.

“Then why are you here?” Neal asked, bringing her attention back to him.

“Because Henry wants to know his father. I don’t want him to have a life full of all the disappointment and abandonment I’ve had. He wanted to meet you, and I’ve made that happen, but I am not ready to give you any legal rights to him. You’ve got to earn that privilege.”

“If you won’t sign the affidavit,” Gold said, “we can still establish Neal’s parental rights by manner of a paternity test. We can have a judge order you to submit your son to one.”

“Oh really? You’re gonna get a judge to compel me to submit my son for a paternity test to prove his father is a man who currently has outstanding warrants for his arrest?”

“The warrants are being dealt with.”

“How?”

“Dad’s got a friend at the DA’s office. He’s going to drop all charges against me in exchange for some information.”

“And you don’t fear any repercussions from the supplier now?”

“It’s been five years. No one I worked with is still around. The info is probably old anyway, but it will let me come home and be a part of your life again.”

“My life? What makes you think you get to be any part of my life?”

“I love you, Ems. I always have and still do. I’m really sorry for what happened to you, but now we can have a fresh start. Be a family again. Something good came out of our time together, and I want to be a part of his life as he grows up.”

Emma was livid. “You can be a part of his life, but on my terms. And you and I aren’t going to be together again. Ever. You hurt me too bad. You don’t just get to waltz into my life and try and pick up where we left off. I haven’t been sitting around and waiting for you to rescue me like some stupid fairy tale princess.”

“I think you’ll find, Miss Swan, that you cannot so easily dictate the terms of visitation my son will have with his child.”

“I think until you get those charges dropped, you have no legal standing to force me to sign anything or subject my son to any sort of testing. So come to me then and we’ll talk. With my lawyer, Regina Mills.”

“I see. When did you retain the services of Ms. Mills?”

“That’s not your concern. But you can be certain that I am not going to so easily lay down and let you walk all over me. Now, I will let you and Neal have the next 45 minutes to spend time with Henry. We are leaving at 6:30. He has school tomorrow and needs to get to bed on time.” She turned her back to the Gold men, opened the pocket door, and stepped back into the sitting room with Milah and Henry.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is probably my favorite. It references Van Morrison's song, Moondance. If you've never heard of him, I highly recommend checking him out. This song is so beautiful.

It had been one month since Killian had moved into his new building. One month since his kiss with Emma. It was May, the weather was warmer, and the semester had come to an end. His summer class didn’t start until July, and he had more time on his hands. And though he had not played since before he joined the Navy, Killian now found himself bringing home a used acoustic guitar. He blamed Liam for giving him the idea. He’d been speaking to his brother earlier in the week about how he felt like he needed a hobby. Liam suggested taking up music again, as it was something he’d enjoyed as a younger man. Killian initially dismissed the idea, but the more he thought on it, the more he liked it. Then today, as he was driving home, he’d seen the guitar in the window of a pawn shop and decided to buy it. He wasn’t even sure he still knew how to play, but at least practicing would keep him occupied.

He reflected on his life in the past month. He had not yet spoken to Milah, but had sent her a kind word via Emma and received the same in return. He felt confident they could maintain a friendship in the future, which made him happy. With some time and distance, he realized how right she’d been that they weren’t happy together anymore. He was rediscovering things he hadn’t enjoyed in a long time, music being the latest. He’d also enjoyed a budding friendship with Emma. He still felt the undeniable attraction to her, but had learned to give her the space she needed. On a few occasions they’d shared a meal, usually pizza with Henry while they watched a child-friendly movie. Killian found he enjoyed spending time with the lad just as much as with his mother.

He parked his car and walked toward the building, carrying the guitar. As he passed through the door, he heard his name called from behind. He turned to see Ruby walking up, her arms laden with grocery bags, and held the door open for her.

“Thanks!” she said as she walked toward the elevator banks.

“Would you like me to carry some of those?”

“Looks like you’ve already got your hands full.” She gestured to the guitar in his hand. “I didn’t know you played.”

“I used to, a long time ago. I find myself in need of a hobby, so I thought I should take it up again.”

“I’d love to hear you play sometime.”

“I fear I’m a long way off from that. I am very rusty.”

“I bet it’s not that bad. Come play for me while I put my groceries away and I can tell you just how awful you really sound.”

“I’d prefer to wait if that’s okay. I haven’t even tuned this yet.”

“Alright, alright. I get it,” she conceded. “Do you sing too?”

“Aye, but, again, it’s been a while.”

“You should come out with us Friday night! Dorothy invited us to a karaoke bar.”

“I wouldn’t want to intrude on your date.”

“It’s more a group outing. Dorothy and I have been dating for about a month, and I want to see how she does among my friends. And her uncle owns the bar, so she’ll be testing me too. I’d love to have you. Emma will be there.”

“She will?”

“Along with Mu, you met her, right? And Aurora, Mu’s girlfriend. And I’m trying to get Mary Margaret and David to come along.”

“Mary Margaret and David?”

“They’re friends of Emma and mine. As it stands now, David will be the only guy in our party, so I am sure he would appreciate an ally. And I bet you guys would get along well. You did say you need some more friends, right?”

“That I did. Okay, I’m in.”

“Great! Meet us down in the lobby at 8:30 Friday night.”

* * *

It had been one month since Neal came back into Emma’s life. Since the first visit, they’d had two more low key meetings in the South End house. Regina was ready, but there had been no more mention of custody arrangements. Each time she was over there, Neal tried to talk with Emma about getting back together, but she always shut him down. Despite his overtures toward her, he did seem to truly enjoy spending time with Henry. It warmed her heart to see her son developing a good bond with his father.

It had also been one month since her kiss with Killian. Emma had come to enjoy Killian’s company. There was still an attraction, but she dealt with that by never being alone with him. Most of their get togethers consisted of pizza and a movie with Henry. Killian got along very well with her son. It was all very domestic, and she tried not to think too much on that. Emma still worried about how to tell Milah about the kiss. She accompanied them everytime they visited Neal. For her part, Milah seemed amicable about the breakup. She always wished Killian well and refused to let Neal speak negatively of his former friend.

It was now May, and despite the warmer weather, Henry woke up Wednesday morning with a slight fever. He was in good spirits and had no other symptoms, but daycare rules prevented Emma from bringing him in. She had one open case that she couldn’t hold on, and called Mu to ask for help with it. Truth be told, she was a bit relieved for the break and snuggled up with her son, watching cartoons and reading books for the better part of the morning.

Around lunchtime Henry got restless, and Emma decided he was well enough to leave the house. They changed and caught the elevator to the lobby. The car stopped on Ruby’s floor and, to Emma’s pleasant surprise, Ruby stepped on.

“Hey you!” Ruby said. “What are you doing home on a weekday?”

“Henry had a fever this morning, but he’s doing good now so we’re gonna go get some lunch. What about you?”

“Night shift at the inn. We’ve got a wedding there next weekend, and there’s a lot to do.”

“That’s the third wedding this month.”

“I know! Granny was skeptical at first, but she is seeing now how profitable these weddings can be. She’s been talking about cutting back her hours and giving me full control of the inn.”

“That’s amazing.”

“And a little scary. I think I’m gonna go back to school and get a business degree so I can be better equipped for that.”

The elevator stopped and the trio stepped off, but stood in the lobby, continuing their conversation. “I’m sure you’ll do great,” Emma said. “You have a head for this.”

“I had a dream the other night that I was running the inn. Dorothy and I were married, and she ran the diner.”

“Wow. She has really gotten into your head.”

“I know. I hope the thing on Friday goes well. I’m curious to see how she gets along with everyone else.”

“What thing on Friday?”

“I didn’t tell you? I could have sworn I did. Maybe I dreamed that too. Anyway, we’re doing karaoke on Friday. Dorothy’s uncle owns a bar. I made it a group thing. Mu, Aurora, Mary Margaret, and David will be there. And I need you there too.”

“Why so many people? You don’t normally care if anyone else approves of who you’re dating.”

“I know! I really, really like her. You’ll be there, right? We’re meeting here in the lobby at 8:30 Friday night.”

“Is everyone going to come here first?”

“No, just you and me. Oh, and Killian. I invited him. He and David should get along, don’t you think?”

“Whoa, whoa, slow down. I still haven’t agreed to go. Did you say Killian will be there too?”

“Yes. And I purposely didn’t say his name at first because I knew you’d be like this. Don’t back out just because he is going to be there. I know you love karaoke, and I need my best friend there for moral support.”

“Roland is my best friend,” Henry chimed in. “I’m spending the night with him on Friday.”

“That’s wonderful!” Ruby said. “Best friends are important. Your mommy is my best friend, and I need her help on Friday. And now that I know you’ll be with Roland that night, your mommy can help me.”

“Yep!” The little boy said enthusiastically.

Ruby looked at Emma. “No excuses. Meet us down here Friday night at 8:30.”

“One day I am going to learn to say no to you.”

“Not a chance. I’ve gotta run. See you Friday!” Ruby threw her friend a sparkling smile and headed out the door.

* * *

Friday night found Killian pacing his apartment. It was still early, just after 7, but he was ready for his outing. He had no wish to deny that he was nervous about spending time with Emma in a date setting, even if it was a group date. He’d spent more time with her recently, but he had no idea if she had continued to see Graham or even if she had met someone else. Nervous anticipation flooded his veins, and he decided to pick up his guitar to soothe himself.

He’d always preferred classic rock, and found himself playing Van Morrison a lot lately. He began strumming through the chords to  _Moon Dance_. Lost in the song, he didn’t hear the knock at his door. The knock came again and he set down the guitar and walked to answer it.

Emma stood on the other side, looking radiant. She wore jeans and a tight shirt with boots and a red leather jacket.

“Hi,” she said. “I know it’s early, but I’m all ready to go out and was sitting around, bored. Care for some company?”

“Aye. I’m glad to have you. Come in.”

“I heard you playing. You’re pretty good.”

“Thank you. I enjoyed playing in my youth. It’s been fun to pick it up again.”

“Were you practicing for tonight? I didn’t hear you singing.”

“Just playing around on the guitar. I’ve sung a few time this week in the shower, but that’s probably not he best way to prepare for karaoke.” Emma blushed, and he knew she was thinking of him in the shower. He could read her like an open book. He wanted to ease the tension. “How about you, love?”

“Just a little singing in the car. I know it’s weird, but I love karaoke.”

“Not weird at all. Any particular favorite?”

“Ruby usually tries to get me to sing something poppy with her, but I really like Broadway musicals. What about you?”

“I’ve actually never sang karaoke, but I like classic rock. The song you heard me playing was by Van Morrison.”

“Well, I’m looking forward to hearing you sing. I’m sure it will be great.”

Now it was his turn to blush. “You put too much faith in me, lass.”

They spent the rest of the time before they were to meet Ruby in pleasant conversation. They were so wrapped up in the discussion that Ruby texted them both, asking where they were. They hurried out of his apartment and headed down to the lobby.

* * *

When Ruby had first invited her out, Emma had been unsure about her friend’s motives. Especially when she’d failed to mention Killian was coming. But she now found herself having a truly enjoyable time. Dorothy was getting along well with everyone, and Emma liked her immensely. Usually Ruby dated guys who could be real jerks, but Dorothy was genuine and caring. She was a little brusque at times, but Emma recognized a fellow orphan and was sure there was more underneath Dorothy’s tough exterior.

As the party consisted nearly entirely of couples, Emma ended up sitting next to Killian. She was comfortable enough with him now that she didn’t mind. She was a few drinks in and feeling good, and had already been on stage to sing  _We are Never Getting Back Together_ with Ruby. Her thoughts inevitably went to Neal as she sang. Killian had yet to go up, and was currently browsing the binder which held the catalog of songs available. He’d been reluctant to sign up at all, but had been threatened by Ruby that if he didn’t pick a song, she would pick one for him.

“What about the song you were playing earlier?” Emma asked. “By Van Morrison?”

Even though the light was dim, she could swear she saw him blush. “ _Moon Dance_. I’m not sure that’s appropriate.”

“Why not?”

Ruby came up behind them then. “ _Moon Dance_? That’s perfect. I’ll sign you up.” She had a slip of paper in hand and walked up to the DJ before they could say anything else.

There were a lot of people, and it took a while before Killian’s turn came up. Long enough for Emma to finish her drink and one other. She was feeling a nice buzz, and her actions were getting more and more flirty. She found herself resting her hand on his knee more than once. He continued to be a true gentleman, which was both frustrating and endearing.

His turn came up, and he walked up to the small stage. He began singing, keeping his eyes on her the entire time. His voice was spellbinding, rich and husky. She idly wondered why he thought this song was inappropriate. It was a bit romantic, sure, but not vulgar. Then he began the second verse, and she knew why.

“Well I wanna make love to you tonight,

I can’t wait till the morning has come.

And I know now the time is just right,

And straight into my arms you will run.

And when you come my heart will be waiting,

To make sure that you’re never alone.

There and then all my dreams will come true dear.

There and then I will make you my own.

Everytime I-I-I touch you,

you just tremble and sigh.

And I know how-ow-ow much,

you want me that,

you can’t hide.”

His eyes never left hers as he sang. Emma’s throat felt thick as she processed the words he was singing to her, passion infused in every note. When the song ended, the spell weakened enough that she could move from her chair. She stood up and walked outside, in desperate need of air.

* * *

Damn Ruby and her meddling ways. Killian had a vague idea of why Moon Dance had been stuck in his head ever since he started playing the guitar again. Now, singing it to Emma, he understood fully. He couldn’t look away from her as he sang, just as she was powerless to ignore the pull. As the song came to an end, he saw her stand and walk toward the door. Ignoring the applause from the crowd, he stepped from the stage to follow her outside.

He saw her standing to the right of the entrance, leaning against the brick wall. “Emma? Are you alright?”

She looked at him with watery eyes. Her expression took his breath away. He’d never meant to cause her any distress, and opened his mouth to say as much. She silenced him by sliding her hands around his neck and pulling his body to hers. Their mouths were mere inches away. He knew she was inebriated and that the gentlemanly thing to do would be to extract himself from her embrace. But, try as he might, he could not resist her. He vowed to let her lead, and did not move to close the gap. It seemed as if hours passed as they stared at one another, sharing the same breath, before she finally leaned in and claimed his mouth with her own. While their first kiss had been fervent, this was slower, more tender. His hands, which had been lightly resting on her hips, wrapped around her midsection and caressed her lower back. She parted her lips and his tongue plunged in, exploring her more fully than he’d previously been able to. She ran her hands through his hair, eliciting a groan from him at the contact. She pulled back just a bit and nibbled on his lower lip. He pulled away and nipped at her earlobe before leaving a trail of soft kisses along her neck. His mouth found the juncture of her neck and shoulder and sucked lightly. He was rewarded with the delicious moan that escaped from her lips.

The cheer of a nearby onlooker abruptly brought him back to his senses. He rested his forehead against her shoulder, still tangled in her embrace. “Emma, we need to stop.”

“Let’s get a cab. Go back to my place,” she said, mouth next to his ear, her voice breathy.

He struggled to not give into the temptation to take her up on this offer. He knew it was not right. “Love, you don’t know how badly I want to do just that. But we can’t. We’ve both been drinking, and there is a table full of your friends in there.”

“Screw ‘em. I can’t deny my feelings for you any more.”

Her words went straight to his groin. Their bodies were still pressed together, and he knew she could feel his arousal. She straddled his thigh and ground against him, bringing forth another groan. “You are a bloody minx, but I can’t take advantage of you. I don’t want there to be any chance that you’ll regret being with me.”

She stilled and looked in his eyes, arms still wrapped around his neck. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Say you’ll go out with me. On a proper date.”

She hesitated for an agonizing moment before finally whispering “okay.”

He leaned down then and planted another kiss on her lips, soft and gentlemanly. Straightening his posture, he helped her stand up and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. They walked back to the bar and resumed their seats. There were more than a few knowing looks from her friends, but he ignored them all. Emma gave him a shy smile, and at that moment nothing could bring Killian down.

* * *

Emma awoke the next morning with a pounding headache. She remembered why she never drank. Mercifully, she was in her own bed and still dressed in her jeans and t-shirt. She only sparsely remembered the night before, including her shameless flirting with Killian. When he’d turned down her proposition, she’d been offended at first, and then in awe of his insistence that she have no reason to regret. He was too good to be true.

Her stomach grumbled and she knew she needed to get something to eat. She sat up slowly and noticed the bottle of water and headache pills on her nightstand. She couldn’t remember how she’d gotten home, but she very much doubted her drunk self would have had that kind of foresight. Maybe Ruby helped her? She pondered on this a bit more before she heard the soft snoring coming from the living room.

She walked out there to find Killian sprawled on her couch, covered in the twin sized comforter from Henry’s bed. He looked so beautiful in his sleep. She couldn’t stop herself from stroking his forehead, moving the pieces of hair that fell in his eyes. The gentle touch caused him to stir, but he didn’t wake. Well, she thought, at least now she knew how she’d gotten home.

She continued to stare at him for a few minutes more. His eyes remained closed, but she saw in a moment that he was awake. He blinked his eyes rapidly before finally turning his stunning blue gaze on her.

“Good morning, love. How are you feeling?”

“Like I never want to see another drink again,” she replied with a small smile. “Why did you sleep on the couch? You could have gone back down to your apartment.”

“You were a little sick last night. After I got you tucked in, I realized you might need assistance later, and decided to stay here just in case. I hope you don’t mind that I borrowed the lad’s blanket. I couldn’t find any throw blankets in here.

"I’ve never been the throw blanket type,” she said. She lingered on his earnest gaze for a moment before continuing. “Thank you, for taking care of me. I’m not normally that bad when I drink.”

“It was not a problem, lass.”

She stared into his eyes and felt all the emotion from the night before flood back into her system. He’d turned her down before because she was drunk, but she wasn’t drunk anymore. She leaned over him, preparing herself for another kiss when she suddenly realized she had morning breath. She stopped, hovering over his face.

“Emma?” He asked.

“I want to kiss you, but I need to brush my teeth first.”

He rubbed his hand over his face. “I should probably do the same. And a shower would be nice.”

She felt her face blanch. “Together?”

He chuckled and grabbed her hand, stroking the back with his thumb. “No, love. I don’t think we’re ready for that step just yet. How about I go down to my place and get cleaned up and you do the same here, then we can go get some breakfast?”

“That’s a good plan.”

His hand came up and cupped her cheek. He leaned in. “One kiss to whet your appetite,” he said, mirth sparkling in his eyes. He planted a firm peck on her lips and then trailed kisses down the column of her throat. She felt like her skin was on fire. She moaned and placed her hand in his chest, stilling his movement.

“That’s more than one kiss.”

“I can’t help myself, lass. You’re too delicious.”

“You keep that up and I won’t be able to let you leave.”

“Punishment indeed. Whatever shall I do?” He gave her a wink.

“Go,” she said, struggling to put any conviction behind the words. She was seconds from climbing on top of him right there. “I’ll see you in half an hour?”

“I will think of you every second I am away.” He pressed another firm kiss to her cheek and stood up, retrieving his wallet and keys from the coffee table.

He was out the door in a moment. Emma let out a heavy sigh and returned to her room to get ready.

She had just finished dressing and was about to blow dry her hair when she heard a knock. She smiled involuntarily. Had it really been half an hour already? She looked at her phone and saw that only 20 minutes had elapsed. Laughing, she walked to the door and opened it.

“Missed me so much you couldn't…” she trailed off. Killian was not the person at her door. “Neal. What are you doing here?”

“Hey, Ems. I’m sorry I didn’t call, but I was hoping you and Henry might like to go get breakfast with me. We could have some time just the three of us, without my mom or dad hanging around.”

She hesitated, staring into his big brown eyes. Part of her would always love Neal. He was her first love. For a moment, she thought about saying yes, but then she recalled how much he had hurt her. She steeled herself before replying. “Henry isn’t here. He spent the night with a friend.”

“Isn’t he a little young for sleepovers?”

“No…it’s not…no. Don’t question how I raise him.”

Neal held his hands up. “Okay, okay. I’m sorry. Well, how about you and me go get some breakfast? We do need to have a long overdue talk.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I already have plans.”

“Then how about I come back for lunch? Or dinner? I’m not picky.” He leaned into the doorway, and Emma instinctively took a step back. He seemed to take that as an invitation and stepped over the threshold. She wanted to tell him to step back, but she was frozen in place. She felt like a naïve seventeen-year old again.

“Come on, Ems,” he said, moving closer and stroking the back of her arm. “I meant what I said. I love you. I am truly sorry for what happened, but let me make it up to you.”

Emma felt like she might cry, from fear, frustration, or unexpressed anger. Or perhaps all three. Her body would stupidly not comply. She was transfixed.

“Emma?” She heard Killian’s voice call from down the hall. He must have noticed the door to the apartment was ajar. She heard him quicken his footsteps. “Love?” he asked upon reaching her unit. “Are you alright?”

Neal’s expression hardened and he turned to face Killian. “What the hell is he doing here?”

Killian bristled at the other man’s tone, but stood his ground. “Hello Neal,” he said, then turned his gaze to Emma. “Are you okay?”

The loving concern in his eyes awoke her from the trance. “Neal,” she said. “You need to go.”

“What? Why? Because he’s here?”

“I think you heard the lady,” Killian said.

“Emma, are you with him?!”

She raised her voice louder. “Neal. Go. Now.”

“What is with you, Jones?” Neal asked, ignoring Emma’s command. “First you steal my mother and now you’re trying to move in on my girl?”

His words ignited her rage. “I’m not  _your_  girl! Get. Out.”

“Whatever,” Neal huffed. “Watch out for this guy, Emma. He ruins lives.”

A cold laugh, that she almost didn’t recognize as her own, emitted from her throat. “That’s rich, coming from you.”

He turned and stormed down the hall. She listened until she was sure he was gone, then pulled Killian inside, bolting the door behind them. She leaned against the door and let out a huge sigh.

“Well, he effectively ruined the mood.”

Killian folded her hands in his and leaned in. He planted a soft kiss on her forehead. “Tell you what. How about instead of going out, we stay here and I’ll make you some breakfast?”

“I don’t have much breakfast stuff in the kitchen. Just some pop tarts and a box of pancake mix.”

He smiled. “Pancakes sound delightful.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So far the M rating has been due to some mild foul language, but this chapter has a bit of smut. If it's not your thing, just skip down to the next section as soon as Killian and Emma start kissing

Killian smiled to himself as he cleaned up after the evening at the karaoke bar. After his kiss with Emma outside, they’d endured relentless teasing from Ruby and Mary Margaret and more than a bit of scrutiny from Mu and David. Every comment made Emma want to drink more, and she was quite sloshed by the time they’d called it a night. Ruby had waved off David and Mu, insisting she would get Emma home. Then, as Killian and Emma were climbing into the cab, Ruby revealed that she was staying over at Dorothy’s and asked if Killian would mind getting Emma home safely.  
  
They hadn’t even made it into the lobby before Emma was sick. Once he got her up to her apartment, she’d fallen into bed without any further word. Worried for her safety, Killian hadn’t hesitated in deciding to sleep on her couch. Perhaps this was a test from Emma’s best friend. If so, he hoped he’d passed.  
  
He glanced at his phone as he walked out of his apartment. Technically he was supposed to be back in 30 minutes, but it had only been 25. He couldn’t wait any longer and he walked to the elevator and rode up to Emma’s floor. The taste of her skin lingered on his lips, and he hoped to have another taste sooner rather than later. As he rounded the corner to her apartment, he saw her door slightly open. Cold fear poured into his veins. “Emma?” he called out, hoping he was just being paranoid. Even so, he practically ran to her front door.  
  
He saw her standing just beyond the door, but she wasn’t alone. A tall man with shaggy brown hair stood next to her. It took Killian a moment to realize this was Neal. It had been so long since he’d seen the other man. He shifted his gaze to Emma and saw the look of terror on her features. “Love?” he asked. “Are you alright?”  
  
She didn’t seem to register his words, but Neal certainly did and the younger man turned around in a fury. “What the hell is he doing here?” he yelled.  
  
Killian bit his tongue and greeted Neal as cordially as possible. He took a breath to remain calm and looked again at Emma. “Are you okay?” The fear on her face broke his heart. She was such a strong woman. It wasn’t right that any man should have such power over her. He willed her to meet his gaze.  
  
Blessedly, she seemed to wake from her daze and summarily dismissed Neal. A few moments later, he leaned in front of her as she slumped against the door. He would have done anything in that moment to make her feel better. Making pancakes seemed a small feat. However, he underestimated just how unprepared she was. She did indeed have pancake mix, but she had no oil or butter. The pan she offered up was not of the non-stick variety, and Killian was certain these pancakes would not be very attractive or edible with these current conditions.  
  
“Why did you buy the pancake mix if you didn’t have all the supplies to make them?”

 

“I wasn’t thinking straight. I wanted pancakes when I bought them, but when I got home and realized I didn’t have everything I needed, I just set the box aside in my cabinet. And then I forgot about it.”

  
“This is impossible. We have two options. One, we can go out for breakfast like we’d originally planned. Or two, we can head down to my apartment and I can make you a proper meal.”  
  
“Or three, we can just have pop tarts. I promise you they are delicious. And fortified with 10 essential nutrients!”  
  
“I find it hard to believe that you can stomach something so sugary after all you imbibed last night.”  
  
Emma’s gaze turned playful and she leaned in closer to him. “You talk too much.”  
  
“I do? Well, what do you propose we do about that?”  
  
“I have a few ideas…” she trailed off and ran her fingers through the hair peeking out from his v-neck shirt. She moved in closer and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. One kiss turned to several, and they forgot about breakfast entirely as they moved to the couch. Killian once again found he had to restrain himself to keep from moving too fast. After he’d prevented her from removing his shirt two times, she finally caught on and stopped moving. She was sitting facing him with her legs straddling his thighs. She made no move to change her position, but glared down on him with fury.  
  
“Okay, what is going on? You obviously want me. I’m not drunk. What’s the problem?”  
  
“I just don’t want to rush this, love. I do want you, very much. But I also don’t want what we have to just be physical.”  
  
“It doesn’t have to be just physical, but look at this from my point of view. I’m a single mother. I haven’t dated or had sex in quite some time. And I’m best friends with Ruby Lucas, who has some of the most raunchy sex stories I’ve ever heard. Can you blame me for wanting to, for lack of a better phrase, ‘get it while the gettin’s good?’”  
  
He couldn’t help but smile, but the smirk soon turned lascivious. He wrapped his arms around her midsection and pulled her in closer so that her body ground against his own. “Don’t worry love, it will still be good after we have our date. In fact, I’d say the anticipation will make it even better. But let it never be said that Killian Jones leaves a woman unsatisfied.”  
  
He lifted her off his lap and plopped her down on the couch next to him. He began kissing her with renewed fervor, his hands drifting down to tease her nipples. His erection rubbed against her thigh, and she moved to grab him through his pants, but he stayed her hand. “No, love, this is about you today.” His hands dropped to unbutton her jeans, dipping below her waistband to rub her clit through her silky underwear. He almost lost his resolve as he looked at her face, twisted in pleasure. Her breath came out in short, shaky huffs and she looked absolutely wrecked. He continued his ministrations, pushing her panties aside to feel her hot warmth. He moved his thumb to massage her clit and slipped one finger inside, quickly followed by a second. She cried out at the penetration and he began pumping his fingers as much as he could within the confines of her clothing. She lost herself in the sensation, throwing her head back on the pillows and moaning loudly. The sound was torturous, and he leaned in and trailed kisses along her neck, gently sucking and biting along her creamy skin. After several more minutes of pleasure, her breath became more erratic and she ground her pelvis down on his fingers to meet his movements.  
  
“Oh god…Killian…I’m gonna come.”  
  
“Let me see you fall apart, darling. I can only imagine how beautiful you must be.”  
  
He added a third finger and began pumping harder, until she cried out and he felt a rush of wetness coat his fingers. He continued gently pumping and massaging her clit as she road out her orgasm. Finally she squirmed away from his thumb, and he withdrew his hand.  
  
She looked at him, her green eyes bright and her cheeks flushed. She ran a hand through her hair and exhaled a long breath.  
  
“Oh my god…that was…”  
  
“Gorgeous,” Killian said as he brought his fingers to his mouth. He carefully cleaned each one, swirling his tongue around the digits while she watched him with a glazed expression. When he’d cleaned them to his satisfaction, he moaned softly. “You taste delicious, darling. I can’t wait to taste you again.”  
  
Her hands once again flew down and she cupped his now painful erection through his jeans. “You don’t have to wait. That was amazing. I want to see what else you can do.”  
  
His hips moved of their own accord as she continued her motions, but he somehow found the strength to move her hand away. “You will, love. Believe me, I will do things to you that will make Ruby blush. But not now. Patience, my dear.” He leaned and gave her a soft, lingering kiss. It took all his willpower to pull away.

* * *

Emma laid her head back against the couch and breathed an exhausted sigh. Killian had just managed to both satisfy her desire while also building her anticipation for what she could expect in the future. She now saw how Milah had so easily fallen for him. Not only was he an absolutely stunning male specimen, he was caring, sweet, and a generous lover. It was almost impossible for a woman to not fall for him once he set his sights on her.

Thinking of Milah brought a blush to her cheeks. She still hadn’t told Milah about the kiss, and it had just escalated to much, much more. And now Neal knew there was some connection between Emma and Killian. She knew Neal well enough to know that he wouldn’t tell his mother of this discovery right away. He would sit on it until the next time he was in a room with both women. Then he would drop the information in the most incriminating way possible. Emma’s only choice was to pre-empt Neal and tell Milah first, but she still had no idea what to say.  
  
“Your thoughts are practically screaming. What’s on your mind?”  
  
She turned her head and met his deep blue gaze. “How am I going to tell Milah about this?”  
  
“Does she need to know?”  
  
“Neal knows you were here. He may not know everything that…happened, but he will definitely wait to spill the beans until he’s face to face with Milah and me. I can’t let that be the first time she hears it. She deserves to hear it from me first.”  
  
“I’d agree with you, love. But you don’t need to make a big production of it. You and I have done nothing to be ashamed of. None of this occurred until well after my breakup with her. She’s not the type to begrudge someone else their happiness.”  
  
“Easy for you to say. You’re not the one who has to tell her.”  
  
“I could come with you if that would make it easier.”  
  
“No. She’s already hearing that her ex is moving on before her. With the mother of her grandson, no less. I don’t want to rub salt in the wound by having you there.”  
  
“I will do whatever you feel is best, but I think you’ll be surprised. Milah is a remarkable woman and I am sure she will be more understanding than you think.”  
  
Emma could not help the surge of jealousy she felt at hearing him praise his ex. She tried to school her features, but he was still looking at her. Damn him but he knew how to read her so well.  
  
“Are you jealous of Milah?” he asked with a cocky smirk on his face.  
  
“No…” Emma trailed off. “No,” she said again with more conviction.  
  
“You needn’t worry. A part of me will always love Milah, but I have no desire to reconcile with her. She wanted to break up because she saw what I was too stubborn to see: that we weren’t compatible anymore. I hope to one day be friends with her, but that is all.”  
  
Emma couldn’t help but allow her mouth to curl into a small smile. She leaned over and planted a kiss on his lips, soft and gentle. Before it could deepen into something else, her phone notification went off, alerting her to a text.  
  
“It’s from Regina,” she said. “Probably wondering when I plan to pick up Henry.”  
  
“I’m sure the lad enjoyed himself, but he also likely misses his mother.”  
  
“I hate to make you go so quickly after I…well, you know. But I do need to go get him.”  
  
“No offense taken. Perhaps we could have dinner together this evening, the three of us?”  
  
“I’d like that, but let’s go down to your place. I had trouble sitting with you on this couch before, and this morning’s activities will only make it that much worse.”  
  
His grin was so cheesy that she couldn’t help but match it. “Maybe we should just go out instead.”  
  
“Good idea. I’ll text you later.”  
  
He stood to go, but leaned down first and planted another soft kiss on her lips. “Until then.”  
  
He was gone in a flash, and Emma leaned her head back again and let out another long sigh. What the hell had she just gotten herself into?

* * *

It was Monday morning, and Killian was in a great mood after his enjoyable weekend. After their Saturday morning interlude, he’d spent both that and the following evening with Emma and Henry. He’d given her a delightful parting kiss each night, but she kept all other contact as chaste as possible. She was still reluctant to show affection in front of others. Henry had long been asleep before she’d permitted any kissing to occur, and Killian could sense she was restraining herself. It was as if she had turned off the wanton creature he’d seen the morning before. He liked this Emma too, however. She was sweet and blushed prettily when he complimented her. He’d managed to catch her in the lobby that morning, and, though she would not allow a kiss, she squeezed his hand as he helped her into her car after she got Henry buckled in.  
  
He parked his car on campus, pleased that he was able to get a good spot. Summer at Storybrooke U was always less crowded, with semesters compressed into just a few weeks, staggering the start dates. His Introduction to World History class would begin next week, and he wanted to prepare a few things before then. He grabbed his leather satchel and slung it over his shoulder, locking the car door and beginning the trek to the building. Just as he approached the entrance, another man stepped in front of him. It was Neal.  
  
“Professor Jones. A word?”  
  
The younger man’s tone was not as hostile as it had been Saturday morning, but there was still a healthy amount of rage simmering just beneath the surface. “Of course, Mr. Gold. Would you like to accompany me to my office?”  
  
“It’s Cassidy now.”  
  
“Of course. Follow me, Mr. Cassidy.”  
  
Killian could feel Neal staring daggers at his back as he entered the building and approached the stairs. The building had an elevator, but it was slow and unreliable. His office was on the third floor, so it wasn’t a bad walk. However, as he ascended, he realized Neal was a full flight below him. The younger man was huffing and puffing, and Killian couldn’t help but feel a childish sense of superiority at his obvious physical advantage. Neal said nothing when Killian remained on the landing between the second and third floors and waited for him to catch up.  
  
“My office is on the third floor,” Killian said simply when Neal reached him. He pointed toward the remaining flight of stairs, and Neal went first. They entered the hall near some of the smaller classrooms and Killian led the way down the hall to the faculty offices. He reached his door and unlocked it before stepping inside and waving Neal in.  
  
He always tried to keep his office neat, tidiness a remnant from his days in the Navy. Even so, he was glad that he’d taken the time to clean up the previous week. In the face of Neal’s obvious disdain, Killian wanted to make sure he looked good in all aspects. Not that Neal had any say in how Emma or Henry spent their time. He pointed to a chair usually occupied by his students during office hours. “Have a seat, please.”  
  
“I’d rather stand,” was Neal’s response.  
  
“Alright then,” Killian said, maintaining his upright position as well. “To what do I owe the honor of this visit? Are you thinking of enrolling again?”  
  
Neal scoffed. “Right. Like I’d ever go here again. And even if I did, I’d take classes with anyone but you.”  
  
“Are you here just to hurl insults at me, or do you actually have something to say?”  
  
“You need to stay away from Emma.”  
  
“Is that so?”  
  
“Yes. You’re just going to hurt her and my son. Save us all the trouble and walk away now.”  
  
“I find your objection rather amusing, considering the fact that you have already hurt her. I have been nothing but honorable.”  
  
“Honorable?” Neal laughed. “By hooking up with her when you were still seeing my mother?”  
  
Killian’s eyes went wide at the accusation, trying to figure out where Neal would have gotten that idea. Surely not from Milah.  
  
Neal took his silence as an expression of guilt. “You’re not even going to try and deny it?”  
  
“What can I say? I could tell you that that is a falsehood, but you’d just accuse me of lying.” He tilted his head and looked more closely at Neal. “I am interested as to who fed you that nonsense. Nothing began between Emma and myself until after your mother decided to break up with me.”  
  
“That’s not what my dad says.”  
  
“And he’s an authority on this subject? I haven’t been in a room with him since I last saw you, so I don’t know how he would be privy to the goings on of my personal life.”  
  
“He knows. He had people watching her.”  
  
“And you’re okay with that?”  
  
“No, not really, but I accept that it had to be done. She comes around him claiming to have a child with me. He did what he had to do to make sure she was who she said she was.”  
  
“You are certainly more complimentary of your father than you were during our prior acquaintance.”  
  
“I still don’t really care for the bastard, but you could say our interests are currently aligned.”  
  
“And what would his interests be in this case?”  
  
“Nothing you need to worry about. Just stay out of our lives. My mom finally did the right thing by dumping your ass. Whatever you had in mind for Emma, just cut your losses and walk away.”  
  
“Whatever happens between she and I, it’s as much up to her as it is to me. So, before you come here and tell me to stay away, I suggest you bring these ideas to her. I’d love to be a fly on the wall when she tells you her thoughts on the matter.”  
  
“I can’t talk to her when you’ve poisoned her mind against me.”  
  
“I poisoned her mind against you? I’d argue that you poisoned her mind against yourself the moment you set her up to take the fall for a crime she didn’t commit. Did you even think to look for her after you made your escape?”  
  
“You don’t know anything about it, Jones! I didn’t have a choice! She’d understand that if you weren’t around clouding her judgment.”  
  
“What happened to you, Neal? When did you become such a coward? So much like your father?”  
  
“You shut your mouth!” Neal yelled. “I am nothing like him.”  
  
Killian suddenly felt a wash of pity for his old friend. Before Neal could respond, Killian pulled him into a strong hug. Neal was taken by surprise and didn’t try to move. “What are you doing?” he asked.  
  
“This is overdue. We’ve been caught up in this nonsense over a woman. I forget that you are still my friend from all those years ago.” He released Neal and stepped back.  
  
Neal wasn’t sure what the make of this turn of events. He suddenly looked very uncomfortable. He stepped back warily. “Right… So, we good?”  
  
Killian had to bite his tongue to avoid laughing at the confused expression on Neal’s face. “That’s up to you. But I am here if you need me.”  
  
“Sure…” Neal took one quick step out the door and walked away without saying anything else. When he was gone, Killian sat down as his desk and chuckled heartily. He wanted nothing more at that moment than to call someone and recount the tale. There was just the question of who. Emma would likely be anxious at the thought of Neal visiting Killian on campus. But he felt no fear. Just concern for his friend mixed with a healthy dose of amusement. He then thought of Milah. Now that his romantic inclinations toward her had abated, he began to fiercely miss her friendship. She would laugh at this tale the same way he did. He almost pulled out his phone to call her, but stopped himself. He couldn’t explain Neal’s presence without revealing his own connection with Emma, and he knew Emma wanted to be the first to tell Milah. He wouldn’t take that from her. He decided he would share this with Emma later. In the meantime, he sent her a simple text.  
  
 _Thinking of you._  
  
Her response was immediate.  
  
 _Good._

* * *

Emma called Milah Sunday afternoon and invited her to lunch the following day. The guilt she felt over the Killian situation had reached a boiling point. She’d restrained herself around him for the remainder of the weekend. Even though she knew logically that he was right, and they’d done nothing to be ashamed of, she could not stop the remorse she felt that she was doing all this with him so soon after his breakup with Milah. It had only been a month. She was not looking forward to seeing her friend, but Emma Swan had never been one to hide from her responsibilities. She felt she owed it to Milah to be up front, despite the cost to their friendship.

Emma entered the restaurant, the same one they’d met at before, and spotted Milah. They embraced, placed their orders at the counter, and then sat at a table in the back. Milah looked excitedly at Emma.  
  
“I am so glad you called. I have amazing news!”  
  
“Really?” Emma asked. “What?”  
  
“I’ve been commissioned to design a wedding dress by a client. She’s one of those society girls, and if I do well on this I’ll probably get a fair amount of business from her friends. I am on my way to being a fashion designer!”  
  
“That’s so great!” Emma said. “I’m really happy for you. You seem like you’ve changed since we first met. For the better, that is.”  
  
“I have changed. I feel like I was holding myself back. Out of comfort or fear, or what I’m not sure. But I’m not holding back anymore.”  
  
“That’s awesome,” Emma said. She felt bile rising in her throat. How could she ruin Milah’s good mood?  
  
Perceptive as ever, Milah read her expression. “What’s wrong?”  
  
Emma cleared her throat. “I have some news too. Maybe not quite as exciting as yours, but I need to share this with you. Before I do, I just want to say that I really hope we can maintain our friendship, but I understand if this changes things between us.”  
  
“Changes things?” Milah asked. “You and Killian are dating, aren’t you?”  
  
Milah’s expression was unreadable. “Yes,” Emma replied in a near whisper. “Well, no, not yet, but we’ve kissed. And he’s asked me on a date.”  
  
Unexpectedly, Milah’s face broke into a smile. “It’s about bloody time.”  
  
Her reaction shocked Emma. “You’re not mad?”  
  
“I broke up with him. I’m glad to see he’s moving on. He was so bloody stubborn about denying his attraction to you that I thought he’d never make a move, just to try and prove a point. I am pleasantly surprised you two are already moving forward.”  
  
“Wait…I’m confused. You’re…happy…that he and I are getting together?”  
  
“I admit the situation is odd, considering how we are all connected to each other. And I won’t lie. Part of me is a little sore that he is moving on before me, but I have other priorities right now. I have no ill will toward Killy. I want him to be happy. I saw it back when we first met you. He was more attracted to you than he wanted to admit. I think I came to terms with this happening before either of you did.”  
  
“Wow,” Emma replied. “I was sure you’d be hurt and angry with me for this.”  
  
“I’m not quite sure I’m ready for us all to spend time together, but I am happy for you both. Not that you need it, but you have my blessing.”  
  
“Thank you. He was right. You really are a remarkable woman.”  
  
“He said that?”  
  
“Yes. He told me I was worrying for no reason. He said you would never begrudge someone else their happiness.”  
  
Milah’s face turned up in a small smile and she stared off in the distance for a moment. “He knows me well.”  
  
“There’s more to the story that I should tell you.”  
  
“Oh?”  
  
“Yes. Neal came by my place unannounced on Saturday morning. He wanted to take me out to breakfast, but I already had plans with Killian. When Killian showed up, Neal flipped out a little. I know him well enough to know that he will sit on this until he feels like he has an opportunity to spring it on us.”  
  
“You’re probably right,” Milah sighed. “He’s more like his father than he likes to admit. Seeing him now is not the happy reunion I expected. But I have hope that I can get him back from the brink.”  
  
“Have you seen him any time other than when Henry and I visit?”  
  
“No. He’s still avoiding me for the most part. I think he only tolerates me at the visits with Henry because he knows it makes you more comfortable.”  
  
“Do you think-” Emma began, but she was cut off by someone approaching the table. She looked up to see a man she’d never met before.  
  
“Are you Emma Swan?” he asked  
  
“Yes,” she replied warily.  
  
“Here you go.” He handed her a plain white envelope. It was stamped with the return address of the Boston Municipal Court Department. Before she could turn back to him and ask about it, he was gone.  
  
“What is it?” Milah asked.  
  
Emma opened the envelope and took out the sheet of paper folded inside. She skimmed it briefly. “It’s a court order to submit Henry for a blood test to determine paternity. I guess the charges against Neal have been dropped.”


	11. Chapter 11

“A paternity test?” Milah asked. “Why would Neal want Henry to have a paternity test?”

“His name isn’t on Henry’s birth certificate,” Emma replied. “Legally he has no rights to visitation or custody unless I either sign an affidavit saying Neal is the father, or a paternity test establishes it.”

“Why didn’t Neal just ask you to sign something? This seems like a bit of an extreme step, getting a judge to order this.”

“I think this is your ex-husband’s doing. He tried to get me to sign an affidavit when we had our first meeting, and said he would get the court-ordered test if I didn’t. I called his bluff since I knew Neal still had some warrants out. Neal said he was trading some old testimony to the DA to get the charges dropped. I guess once that happened, Robert moved to the next step right away.”

“Bloody bastard,” Milah muttered under her breath.

“I need to talk this over with Regina. See what she thinks I should do.”

“Good idea. She’s your lawyer friend, right?”

“Yep. She specializes in Family Law.”

“Maybe you should try talking to Neal as well.”

“I don’t know about that. I have a hard enough time keeping my cool with him when Henry’s around. I’m either overly hostile or feel like a naive teenager again.”

“Look,” Milah said, “I know he betrayed you, and I have no wish of excusing that, but my son is not a manipulative jerk like his father. He can be reasonable. And he is one of the few people Robert will listen to, so it might be a good idea to get him in your corner.”

“But how can I do that when he keeps bothering me to get back together? He freaked out when he saw Killian at my place the other day. How’s he going to react if he finds out we’re dating?”

“Neal is just scared of change. And extremely sentimental. He holds on to the good memories and forgets about all the bad ones if he can help it. He remembers being happy with you. That’s why he wants to be with you again. Honestly I think it’s a terrible idea.”

“You do?”

“Yes. He’s romanticized it. He thinks of you as a docile, timid little creature, which you may have once been, but aren’t now. He’s refusing to see that you are not the same person you once were. And neither is he. This is just like with Wendy.”

“Wendy?”

“She was a childhood friend of his. They were very close. She grew up in England and came over with her parents when she was eight. She and Neal became thick as thieves. They spent all their time together. Her father eventually got transferred back to London. Neal sulked for six months after she left. He had developed quite a crush on her.”

“How old was he?”

“Thirteen. She came back for a visit the summer after Neal graduated high school. They’d found each other online, and he offered to let her stay with us. It was painfully obvious that she didn’t feel the same as he did, but he refused to see it. He kept trying to recreate the relationship they’d once had, instead of getting to know her as she was then. Wendy ended up cutting her trip short because he was making her uncomfortable.”

“What did he do that made her so uncomfortable?”

“First he mooned over her and kept reminding her of things they’d liked as kids. She tried to get him to talk about their current interests, but he only wanted to reminisce. When she stopped showing any enthusiasm, he became cold toward her.”

“He never told me about this.”

“I don’t imagine he’d want to. It was not his finest hour. And now he is in danger of making the same mistake with you. But the difference here is that you have Henry. Neal can’t just shut you out, or he loses his son. He may be flawed, but he does love that boy.”

“You’re right. There’s no doubt he loves Henry.” Emma was quiet for a moment. Finally, she met Milah’s gaze. “OK, I’ll call him. Maybe we can work this out and he can tell his father to back off.”

“Cheers to that,"Milah said, raising her glass. Emma returned the toast and smiled.

* * *

Waiting for the elevator, Killian groaned and rubbed his tense neck. All his hopes for a quiet week had been dashed. Somehow, on Friday afternoon, he felt less accomplished than he had on Monday morning. During the week, a colleague of his suddenly left the department. Her online Intro to US history course had over 50 students enrolled, and the class was already two weeks in. The administration was reluctant to cancel the course. Storybrooke U’s online presence was still fledgling, but the school had dreams of expanding it. Killian was eventually strong armed into taking on the class in addition to his upcoming seven-week World History class.

He knew he truly had no right to complain. Many of his colleagues taught multiple courses year-round. He was fortunate to have a full-time position as an Associate Professor with the potential for tenure. However, he’d hoped for a lighter summer in order to go sailing, which he had not done in more than a year. And he had also hoped to spend some downtime with Emma and Henry.

As it was, he had not seen the Swans since Monday morning. Although he and Emma frequently texted and phoned one another, their schedules were in constant opposition. He stayed late on campus, meeting with his graduate students and preparing for class. The one night he’d left campus by seven, she wasn’t home. She and Henry were having dinner with Rob and Regina. They’d made it home a bit later than planned, and Emma begged off, explaining that Henry was in an especially ornery mood.

So now it was Friday and he had not seen Emma for five days, with a prospect of this continuing for the next two months. He hung his head and sighed again.

"Were you planning on going upstairs, or do you enjoy loitering in the lobby and sulking?”

Killian looked up to see Ruby, wearing a self-satisfied smirk. “Indeed, Lady Lucas. I do enjoy a good loiter every now and then.” He returned her smirk. “In truth, I was waiting for the elevator, but it seems to be taking a very long time today.”

She leaned over and pressed the button to call the elevators to the lobby. “I hear they come a lot faster when you push this.”

He gave her a tense smile. “Thank you. It seems I am a bit preoccupied today.”

“Thoughts of our fair friend Miss Swan?”

“Somewhat. It has been a truly hellish week at work, and I haven’t had much opportunity to see her.”

“I can relate. I haven’t seen her since Friday night. You’d think with us living in the same building that we’d see one another more often.”

“Work has a way of interfering. Speaking of, how are things at the Inn?”

“Amazing! I’ve got a journalist coming to the wedding we’re holding next Saturday. The Inn is being featured in a Boston bridal magazine.”

“That’s wonderful to hear. Congratulations. I know this is the culmination of much hard work on your part.”

“Thank you.” The elevator arrived and they each boarded. After pressing the buttons for their respective floors, Ruby turned to him again. “So, how are things going with Emma?”

“Last weekend was quite enjoyable. Though that was a rather sneaky trick on your part, entrusting her to my care.”

She had the good sense to look sheepish. “I did intend to get her home myself when I told Mary Margaret I would. But then I saw how she was looking at you, and it was too good of an opportunity to help her get laid. I don’t often get to be Emma’s wing-woman.”

“Well, if that was your intention, I am afraid you failed.”

“You guys didn’t have sex? Why not?”

They reached Killian’s floor and the doors opened. As he exited, Killian called out “a gentleman does not kiss and tell. You will need to speak with Emma if you wish to know more.”

To his surprise, Ruby followed him out. “Oh no, mister. You and I both know she won’t tell me anything she doesn’t want me to know. And ever since she paid off my informant upstairs, I am sadly without good gossip about my best friend.”

Resigned, Killian unlocked his door and let her in. “Well for starters, she was ill before we even made it into the building.”

“Did she throw up in the cab?!”

“Thankfully no. But the bushes by the lobby doors were not so lucky. By the time we arrived at her door, she was quite unresponsive. I barely got her into bed. And since I don’t relish the idea of bedding an unconscious partner, nothing else occurred that night.”

“Wow. She was drunker than I thought. I’m sorry. If I knew she was going to pass out, I wouldn’t have stuck you with her.”

“It was no burden, I assure you. She seemed quite grateful the following morning, so I believe it may have worked in my favor.”

“Did you go check on her? I bet she was majorly hungover.”

Killian blushed a bit at the thought of the previous Saturday morning. Ever vigilant, Ruby’s eyes widened.

“You slept there, didn’t you? Did you guys get busy Saturday morning?”

“Before you jump to conclusions, I slept on the couch. I am going to take her on a date before anything of that sort occurs.” He was grateful he could side step a confession of the other activities they’d participated in on that fateful morning.

“You want to take her on a date? That is so sweet!”

“Indeed, but I have been so busy this week that she and I haven’t been able to solidify our plans. So, if you want to be her wing-woman, perhaps you can help by watching Henry.”

“Done! I’ll swap with one of the girls at the Inn and get tomorrow night off so you can take Emma out.”

“Truly? I don’t want to harm your relationship with your employees.”

“I’m the boss. They know that. Besides, Margot owes me a favor, so it won’t be a problem. I’ll go upstairs and tell Emma now.”

“Could I possibly be the one to tell her, since I have yet to ask her out?”

“Oh, yes, of course. I’ll go to my apartment and call Margot.”

“Thank you, Ruby.”

“Emma is my best friend, and you seem to make her happy. But, make no mistake, I’m doing this for her, not you.” She flashed a cheeky grin.

Killian returned her smile. “But of course, milady.”

* * *

Emma had one hell of a week. One of the other agents had a heart attack, and Leroy had asked Emma and Mu to take on his caseload, in addition to their own. Emma had to rely on Regina’s help with Henry most days that week. While the additional jobs left her bank account nicely padded, she didn’t like asking Regina to get Henry too often. Though she had softened in recent years, Regina could still be quite acerbic.

When they’d first met, Regina was expecting that Emma would not be able to regain custody of her son. She made no secret of that fact, as she fully intended to adopt Henry. She treated Emma as a strung out addict that was only biding time before she went back to jail. Emma had considered asking that Henry be moved to another foster home, but she really had no choice in the matter. She had to rebuild her life and demonstrate responsibility in order to get Henry back, and petty fights with Regina did not help that mission.

Eventually, and thanks in no small part to Rob’s influence, Regina relented and quite abruptly switched gears to help Emma regain custody. She confessed later that Rob helped her realize she would never have Henry in her life in the future if she made an enemy of his mother. Emma welcomed the help only because she saw how much Regina truly loved Henry.

Things were so different now, but still Emma tried not to overburden her friend with watching Henry. There was still a small part of her that felt Regina was just waiting for Emma to screw up so badly that she would lose Henry for good. Even knowing the woman as she did now, Emma’s insecurities would not let her rest in her current situation.

Emma looked over at her son, who sat at the small kitchen table coloring. She would never begrudge him a supportive, caring person in his life, never wanting him to experience the lonely childhood she had. That was why she was so ready to let Milah in. Neal was a more difficult case. Although he was Henry’s father, he’d also abandoned Emma without a way to find him. Even if he hadn’t known about her arrest, why had he not tried to find her? She felt the betrayal so keenly. She’d lived with him for two years, longer than she’d been in any foster home since the Swans had given her up when she was three. Back then she saw Neal as her family, and thought she loved him. When he left her, her world was shattered. That was not a betrayal that could be easily forgiven.

It certainly didn’t help that he wanted to pick up where they’d left off as if nothing had happened. He could be so dense. It infuriated her. Emma had yet to call him about the blood test situation, despite her promise to Milah. Regina had agreed with Milah, saying talking to Neal was likely the easiest solution. Emma was torn as to what to do. She had ten days to comply with the order, and time was running out. She’d been served on Monday, and here it was a Friday and she had done nothing with it. Making up her mind, and with one more glance at her son, she picked up her phone and walked to her bedroom. She left the door ajar and dialed Neal.

 _“Hey Ems,”_ he answered quickly. His tone was not unfriendly, but lacked the endearment he’d been expressing so much since they reunited.

“Hi, Neal,” she responded awkwardly. She hadn’t spoken with him since the previous Saturday morning, and hoped he wasn’t holding a grudge.

_“What’s going on?”_

She bit her lower lip. May as well just rip off the band aid. “Did you know that your father served me with a court order to submit Henry to a paternity test?”

 _“He did what?”_ Neal cried, and Emma breathed a sigh of relief. Neal hadn’t known about this.

“Yeah. I got served with the papers on Monday morning. I don’t want to put Henry through that. I will just sign the damn affidavit saying you’re his father. Milah said you could probably get your dad to back off.”

_“Yeah, I’ll call him right after we hang up. I don’t want Henry to go through that either.”_

“Thank you.”

_“I’m glad you called, Ems. I’ve been too afraid to call you. I’m sorry about the way I acted on Saturday. You’re right, it’s not my place to try and keep you from dating who you want to date. I wish you hadn’t picked Killian, but I can’t stop you.”_

“Wow… to be honest I was not expecting that. When Killian told me you came by his office, I’d assumed this would be a sore spot for weeks.”

_“I’ve done some self reflecting this week. And I talked to my mom. I want to be a better man. For Henry. And maybe one day, if the circumstances are right, you and I can give it another shot. But I’m gonna back off for now.”_

His confession that he still hoped for a reconciliation made Emma cringe. She had no intention of the same. But, she was grateful that he was making an effort to apologize, and decided to let it go for the time being.

“I’m glad to hear that,” she said. “I’d like it if we could be friends. For Henry.”

_“I’d like that too. Are we still on for Sunday?”_

“Yes, but do you want to try meeting a park somewhere? I think Henry feels uncomfortable in that big house.”

_“Yeah, sure. How about that park near my mom’s store? She said he likes it a lot.”_

“He does. Okay, we’ll see you there around 2:00?”

_“Looking forward to it. Let me call my dad now and get him to drop this court order.”_

“Thanks Neal. See you then.”

They hung up and Emma breathed a sigh of relief. That had gone better than she thought. She would need to deal with his hope for a future with her, but decided that could be left for another time. For Henry’s sake, she would try to be friendly.

* * *

Killian stepped off the elevator and made the now familiar trek to Emma’s door. He tried to contain his enthusiasm, but was doing a poor job. He’d finally get a date with his Swan. He reached her door and gave a playful knock. Emma opened the door and granted him a warm smile.

“Killian. I’m sorry, I was on the phone. Did I miss a text?”

“No,” he replied, and could not hide his smile. “I have come to ask you out to dinner tomorrow night.”

“Tomorrow?” Her face fell. “I would love to, but I don’t have anyone to watch Henry.”

“I may have a solution. I mentioned my desire to take you on a proper outing to Ruby, and she offered to watch Henry tomorrow night if you are amenable.”

Emma smirked. “I’m sure she did. Ruby is always trying to get me to go out more.”

“May I come in?” Killian asked, suddenly realizing he was still standing in her threshold.

“Oh, of course.” She opened the door wider and he stepped through, only to be accosted by a very excited Henry.

“Killian! I thought I heard you talking. Are you here for dinner? Mommy is making my favorite, spaghetti!”

“I would be glad to dine with you, if your mother is alright with that.”

“Please mommy!” Henry pleaded, turning to his mother.

“It’s okay with me, but it’s nothing fancy.”

“I don’t need fancy food, Just time with my two favorite Swans.”

Henry giggled. “I’m a person! Not a bird!”

“Indeed you are,” Killian replied, mussing the boy’s hair.

They settled into what had become their usual routine: Henry coloring, Emma cooking, and Killian moving between the kitchen and dining area to help where he was needed. The meal was indeed nothing fancy, but he enjoyed the company immensely.

After their meal, Henry asked to watch an episode of his new favorite cartoon on Netflix, and Emma conceded. Once he was fully engrossed, she pulled Killian into her room. Grabbing at his shirt collar, she pulled him toward her, fusing their lips together. He lost himself to the kiss, moving his head with hers. He lifted his hand to tangle with the hair at the nape of her neck and she responded by gently scraping her nails up his back. She finally broke the kiss, bringing their foreheads together while they both panted for air.

“I’ve been wanting to do that since I opened the door and saw you standing there,” she said, taking deep gulps of air.

He smiled. “It seems absence does indeed make the heart grown fonder.”

She giggled and nuzzled her head under his, laying her ear against his chest.

“You never answered my question about tomorrow night.” He pulled away and looked down at her with trepidation. “Will you go out with me?”

She looked at him for a moment before sliding her hand up his chest to the back of his neck. She pulled him down and captured his lips in another fiery kiss. When they broke again, he chuckled and whispered “was that a yes?”

“Always the gentleman,” she laughed. “Yes, I will gladly go out with you, Killian Jones.”

* * *

Killian would be picking her up at six. At five, Ruby lightly knocked on the door and then let herself in with her spare key. Emma tried being mad at her friend for the intrusion, but found she didn’t have it in her. Ruby was carrying a garment bag and what looked to be a very expensive, very full, overnight bag.

“What’s all this?”

“Well, I can’t stay the night here without a few things.”

“Actually, you could,” Emma said with a laugh. “You live two floors down. And besides, I didn’t ask you to spend the night. I should be back-” She was cut off by an exuberant Henry, who chose that moment to emerge from his room.

“Aunt Ruby! Are you spending the night? Can we have pizza?!”

“I sure am! And pizza sounds delicious.”

“Can we eat dinner in our pj’s?!”

“That is an excellent idea.”

“Mommy said she’s going to a grown-up dinner with Killian. Maybe they will change their minds and we can all have a sleepover here!”

“No, that won’t work,” Ruby replied.

Henry looked crushed. “How come?”

“Because it has been way too long since I had some one-on-one time with my favorite nephew. You wouldn’t want your mom and Killian spoiling our fun, would you?”

He seemed to ponder this for a moment, before breaking into another smile. “Nope!”

“I thought so,” Ruby said, returning his grin. “Now, go pick out which pair of pj’s you want to wear. I’m gonna go help your mommy get ready for her date.”

He bounced off and Emma turned to head to her room, Ruby hot on her tail.

“Okay,” Ruby began again. “What are you wearing tonight?”

Emma looked down at her jeans and soft gray t-shirt. “This.”

“What? No, try again.”

“What’s wrong with this?”

“Way too casual.”

“Killian said it wouldn’t be anything too over-the-top, so why can’t I be comfortable?”

“Just trust me on this, okay? He will do something romantic, because that’s who he is, and you’ll be glad you took the time to dress up a little for the occasion.”

“I don’t know that I have anything suitable,” Emma confessed.

“No worries. I have just the thing.” She unzipped the garment bag and pulled out a blue wrap dress, in what looked to be the exact shade of Killian’s eyes. It still had the tags hanging from it.

“When did you get that?”

“This morning, and it’s for you. A bit too demure for my tastes, but perfect for you.”

“Rube… you didn’t have to buy me a dress.”

“I never do anything I don’t want to do. You know this. Now let’s get beyond your feigned politeness. Put this on.” She thrust the hanger into Emma’s hands.

When six-o'clock rolled around, Emma had to admit that Ruby was right. The dress was flattering, but not too formal. She paired it with wedge gladiator sandals on loan from Ruby (“you do NOT get to keep these,” she’d said). Her friend had helped her coax her hair into soft curls that hung around her shoulders and encouraged her to add a bit more eyeliner to really make her green eyes pop. She felt pretty, and was indeed glad she’d made an effort.

Prompt as ever, Killian knocked on the door at six sharp. Emma imagined he’d been ready for half an hour, and probably forced himself to wait in his apartment until closer to the agreed time. Emma moved to open the door, but Ruby interceded.

“Go back in your room and check your makeup and hair. I’ll let him in.”

“I just finished getting ready. There is nothing to check. This is stupid.” Emma had enough. She’d already played hard-to-get with Killian when they’d first met. There was no need for games anymore. She brushed past Ruby and opened the door.

Killian stood there, hand behind his back, and took her in. “You look stunning, Swan,” he said, all traces of innuendo removed from his voice.

Emma was equally stunned, taking in his dark jeans, black shirt, and black leather jacket. “You look…”

“I know,” he responded with a cocky grin. He moved the hand from behind his back and presented her with a single long-stem rose.

She took the flower and breathed in the heady scent. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure.”

Henry stood to the side, very clearly wanting to give Killian a hug, but being restrained by Ruby. Killian knelt down and said to the boy “are you excited for an evening with Ruby?”

“Yeah!” Henry replied. Ruby let him go and he ran into Killian’s arms and gave the man a bear hug. “Thanks for taking my mommy on a date so I can play with Aunt Ruby!”

Killian chuckled. “I am glad to be of assistance, lad.”

Emma smiled at the easy affection between Killian and her son. She leaned down for her own hug and Henry happily ran to her side. “ Be good for Aunt Ruby, kid. I love you.”

“I will. I love you too.”

Emma turned to Ruby. “I’ll text when we’re heading back.”

“Take your time,” Ruby responded. “We’ll be fine here. Have your own sleepover if you want.” She winked at Emma and Killian.

The tips of Killian’s ears turned bright red and Emma flushed in embarrassment. Henry was fortunately oblivious to their reactions. “Bye mom! Bye Killian!” he called out.

Emma turned to leave and Killian followed. Once they were on the elevator, Killian turned to her, his cheeky grin back.

“Our own sleepover?”

Emma flushed again. “So now you want to have sex? What happened to all the ‘after our date’ stuff?”

“Well, darling,” he said, wrapping his arms around her waist, “we are currently on our date, so tonight can be the night if you so desire.” He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips and then trailed kisses down her neck, nipping at the sensitive flesh.

“I’m all dressed up,” she breathed. “We are going out.”

“And I fully intend to show you a good time. Both during and after our date.” One of his hands wandered down and he gripped her firm ass cheek.

“You keep this up,” she replied, running her fingers through hair on the back of his head, “and I won’t be able to make it out of this elevator.”

“Mmm… sounds wonderful to me.” He grabbed her leg and hitched it up to his waist, grinding his center against hers as he captured her mouth in a passionate kiss.

Emma didn’t know what else would have happened, had the elevator not stopped on the 2nd floor. They had just enough time to right themselves before the doors opened and an elderly couple got on. The wife gave them a knowing smile, and Emma felt her face redden once again. She looked at the floor, while Killian squeezed her hand in his. When the car arrived in the lobby, she was the first passenger off, pulling him behind her.

Only when they were outside and walking toward his car, did she meet his eyes again. “You are a bad influence on me.”

He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in close. “And you are enjoying every minute of it,” he whispered as he nibbled her earlobe.

Emma sighed as she settled into the passenger seat. She wasn’t sure what, but something had brought out the scoundrel in Killian Jones tonight. And she couldn’t get enough of it.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is fluff and smut. It's entirely devoted to their date. The smut doesn't really start until they leave the movie theater, so if you want to skip that part, just move on to the next chapter after that part.

“So,” Emma asked. “What’s the plan?”

Killian smiled. “Well, much as I love your boy’s company, I thought we might take advantage of our first dinner with just the two of us and visit a more ‘grown up’ establishment. Do you like sushi?”

“I do, though I don’t know that I’ve ever had it beyond the kind they sell in the grocery store.”

“Well, my dear, you are in for a treat. Several, in fact, before the night is through.” He gave her a wink.

She couldn’t help the flush that rose in her cheeks, but still gave him a wary glance. “Then what, Pirate? We return to your place for some pillaging and plundering?”

Killian audibly groaned at her comment, and she felt a rush of heat between her thighs.

“Well,” he said, “I had thought we’d see a movie before we returned, but if you’d prefer to skip to more 'enjoyable activities’, I could be persuaded to change the plan.”

“What movie?”

“I found a revival theater playing The Princess Bride this evening. Seeing as it is your favorite, I thought that too good of an opportunity to pass up.”

“It is my favorite,” Emma said in a soft tone. “But I’ve never seen it in a theater.”

“Then I think we must postpone our amorous adventure for a few hours so you can properly experience your favorite film.”

“Really? I’m a sure thing. You don’t have to woo me like this.”

“Love, you deserve all this and so much more.”

His comment left her speechless. No man had ever focused so much on her desires. She didn’t know how to express her gratitude with words, so she opted for a physical expression. She wanted to lean over and kiss him silly, but he was driving, so she settled for a gentle peck on his cheek.

“Thank you,” she whispered as she pulled away, her hand skimming his thigh.

The tips of his ears were red, and his cool, flirtatious demeanor was down for a moment, but he quickly recovered. “I am happy to do this. And my motives may not be entirely noble. I imagined we might take advantage of the darkened theater to have a bit of a prelude to our later activities.”

“You mean make out in the theater?”

His face broke out in a smile. “Aye, that.”

“That’s another thing I’ve never done.”

“Truly?”

“Well, foster kids don’t really get the luxury of movie dates. And I never trusted someone enough to put myself in a vulnerable position like that.”

“Well,” he said, as his right hand let go of the steering wheel and fell to her thigh. “I am am happy to provide you with yet another treat this evening.” His hand slid under the hem of her dress. Though it was only a few inches above her knee, the touch felt erotic and Emma felt another rush of heat. “Can you handle it?”

“Oh it’s on, Pirate,” she said with a smirk. “The question is, can you handle it?”

He returned her smirk and squeezed her knee. They rode the remainder of the way to the restaurant in comfortable silence. Emma was struck by how natural this all felt. Although she’d spent much time with Killian in the past weeks, very little of it had been time alone. She wasn’t sure what to expect, but found she was pleasantly surprised.

They parked and she unbuckled, moving to open the door.

He reached over and lightly grasped her wrist. “Stay right there, love.”

She rolled her eyes. “Killian, I can open my own door.”

“Swan, I know you can do anything you wish, but on our date will you please let me be a gentleman and open doors for you?”

“Ok,” she responded with a small smile.

He gave her a quick peck on her cheek before opening his door and walking around the car. He opened hers and bowed with a flourish. “Milady.”

She couldn’t help the snort that escaped. “You can be such a dork sometimes.”

He chose to ignore that comment and took her hand in his. They walked into the restaurant and he gave his name to the hostess. She smiled in recognition and immediately grabbed two menus, leading them toward the back. Several patrons sat along the walls near the door, waiting for a table. More than a few cast angry glares as she and Killian walked by.

Once they were seated, Emma gave her date a puzzled look. “Did you make a reservation?”

“No, this place doesn’t accept them.”

“Then how did we get a table so fast?”

“I may have a few connections.”

“Is that so?”

He smiled and opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by the approach of a young, well-dressed woman.

“Dr. Jones!” She said warmly. “I was so glad to hear from you this morning. It is so good to see you!”

“And you, Amy. Congratulations on your marriage.”

“Thank you! We are very happy.” She looked at Emma. “Will you introduce me to your friend?”

“Of course. Amy, this is Emma. Emma, this is Amy, a former student of mine.”

Amy held out her hand and gave Emma a warm smile, which she reciprocated. “It is a pleasure to meet you. I’m sorry I can’t linger. I am in charge tonight. Please enjoy your meal and let me know if there is anything you need.” She gave them another smile and then walked toward the kitchen.

“Former student?” Emma asked.

“Aye. Her uncle started this restaurant and she worked here as a server when she attended my class. Her parents were pushing her to seek a PhD, but she was obviously miserable. We had a few chats and I learned about her passion for this place and suggested she switch to the business school and focus on restaurant management. She later told me it was the best piece of advice she ever received. I believe she may be inflating my role in all this, but as a benefit she offered me a table here whenever I have need. I happened to run into her on campus about a month ago, and she reminded me. So I thought it might take advantage of the offer for our evening out.”

Emma smiled at him. “You have such a wonderful effect on people.”

“I have found my calling, love, and I merely wish to help others do the same.”

Emma reached across the table and laced her fingers with his. She was having a hard time maintaining her walls in the presence of this man.

They ordered, getting two types of rolls Emma was familiar with, as well as some nigiri Killian insisted on. When the food came, artfully arranged on a platter, Emma looked warily at the slices of raw fish perched atop small mounds of rice.

Reading her mind, Killian pointed at one. “Don’t make that face, Swan. You ordered Spicy Tuna and the Philadelphia roll, which both have raw fish in them.”

“But it somehow seems different.”

“It is. But with nigiri you can experience the true flavor of the fish. A restaurant can’t hide behind the other ingredients. The fish must stand alone. And trust me when I say that the fish here is impeccable. One bite of this yellowtail and every other time you ate fish will pale in comparison. The flavors will meld on your tongue in a delightful dance that will leave you begging for more.”

Emma sensed a flush in her cheeks as she listened to his words. She knew he was talking about the food, but couldn’t help but draw a comparison to the other activities they had planned for the evening. She realized her silence was dragging on when he chuckled, and she quickly composed herself. “Okay,” she said, “I’m sold. Let me try it.” She moved her chopsticks to pluck one from the platter.

He stayed her hand. “Allow me, love. Sit back, relax your shoulders and close your eyes.”

“Really? What is this, 50 Shades?”

“Only if you want it to be,” he said, his grin turning wicked. “But for now, I want you to block out other distractions and focus simply on the flavors. Closing your eyes and releasing some tension will help with that.” She complied. “Now, open your mouth.”

She once again followed his instruction, and felt him place a morsel of fish in her mouth. Without prompting, she closed her mouth and began to chew. She felt him draw near, his breath hot on her neck.

“Slowly, love.”

Never before had eating been an erotic experience, but when she focused on the food, she did indeed experience what Killian was talking about. The flavor was light and buttery. The fish melted on her tongue, leaving a slightly spicy, salty aftertaste. She involuntarily moaned after swallowing the bite. Opening her eyes, she met Killian’s gaze, his pupils blown wide with lust.

“Wow” was all she could muster. His face broke into a wide grin.

“More?” She could only nod her head in reply.

The dinner continued in the same manner, intimate and sensual. When they left, Emma was half tempted to say they should skip the movie, but Killian was still showing restraint.

“No, love, I insist we attend this movie. Perhaps seeing Cary Elwes in tight black pants will whet your appetite for later.”

He opened her door and she moved to sit in the passenger seat, but suddenly turned and grabbed his collar, pulling him in for a deep kiss.

“Thank you for dinner,” she whispered after breaking apart.

He stood there for a moment, his arms encircling her waist. “You are a bloody temptress, love.”

“Is it working?”

“Let’s go see this movie. If we find we simply can’t keep our hands off one another, we can leave early.” He let his hands slip down and squeezed her ass as he rutted his hips into hers. “A little more delay will make the time when we come together that much more sweet.”

“Tease.”

“Patience, my love.” He captured her lips in another kiss, and it took a moment for her lust-addled brain to register that he’d just called her  _his_ love. Her brain wanted to freak out. To run at his admission of love. Love equaled pain. She didn’t want to be in love. But her brain was at odds with her body. Her body wanted to continue. To reach the moment when he would undress her and make good on his promises. She promised her brain to deal with the love issue tomorrow. Right now, she needed to get laid.

* * *

As they settled into their seats, Killian couldn’t help but notice the change in Emma. She was still flirtatious, but seemed to be holding him at a distance, intent on controlling the pace. More than once on the drive to the theater, she’d tried to convince him to skip the movie and return to his apartment. Any comments he made of a more romantic nature were immediately responded to with a physical action. She was trying to cut off any discussion of a more serious nature.

He’d almost called her on this behavior several times, but stopped himself. He knew what she was doing. She was trying to fortify her walls. He only wished he’d known what happened to cause this sudden turn of events. Dinner had been a wonderful affair. She’d opened up to him. Shared some of her childhood experiences, and he’d reciprocated with some of his own. He’d told her stories of growing up with Liam and his travels diving shipwrecks.

Then once they left the bubble of the restaurant, everything seemed to change. He was baffled. What had he done? He resigned himself to watch the movie and hope that her mood improved before they left. As much as he wanted to seek a more intimate connection with Swan, he did not want their relations to be purely physical. He had no interest in being used. Sex without emotion was meaningless and Swan deserved more. He deserved more.

Cautiously, he reached his hand out and laced their fingers together. She looked over and smiled, though it did not quite reach her eyes. He was saved by the dimming of the lights and the start of the movie.

Of course, Killian had seen The Princess Bride before, but never in a theater. It was quite a unique experience. The audience participated, rhyming along with Fezzik and calling out 'Inconceivable’ with Vizzini. Killian looked over at Emma, remembering his suggestion from earlier. She was engrossed in the film, her face in an expression of childlike wonder. He couldn’t bring himself to interrupt that. Instead of pulling her in for a sensual kiss, he squeezed her hand. She squeezed back and leaned in as close to him as the uncomfortable chairs allowed.

When they reached the point that Roberts reveals himself to Buttercup, Emma looked over. There were tears in her eyes.

Killian reached over and cupped her cheek. “Emma?”

She shook her head frantically. “I’m sorry.” She stood abruptly and ran from the theater.

Killian lept from his chair and hurried after her, their bag of popcorn tumbling to the floor in his wake.

“Emma!” He called immediately upon reaching the lobby. There was no one there but the lone employee behind the snack counter. She seemed to take pity on him and nodded her head toward the women’s restroom.

 _Hiding again_ , he thought.  _I’d hoped we were past this._

“You want me to go see if she’s okay?” The woman behind the counter asked.

“No, but thank you. She needs her space.”

He waited. After 10 minutes elapsed, he purchased a beer. After 25 minutes, he bought another.

“You gonna be okay here? I need to take my break.”

“Aye, yes, I am fine. Thank you lass.”

She grabbed her phone and a pack of cigarettes and walked toward a door marked 'Staff Only.’ Killian’s head sunk and he took a long pull from his beer.

* * *

The bathroom was nice. There was a cozy couch tucked away near the entrance, and Emma had taken residence there. Killian was outside. He’d be worried, but she couldn’t bring herself to move. She fiddled with her phone, pricing out the cost of a cab vs a rideshare. She googled the theater and tried to find a floor plan, hoping there was a way she could slip past the lobby without him seeing her.

The thought of leaving that way made her feel incredibly guilty. He was a good man. He deserved better than that. That didn’t change the fact that she was terrified to face him. She’d tried to focus on the physical, but his tender looks and gestures spoke to the emotion she was trying so hard to avoid. He may have not meant to call her his love, but it was obvious that he was falling for her. Her own feelings were a mess. She didn’t know if she loved him. She honestly wasn’t sure she had the capacity for love after Neal.

Emma knew if they continued on this course tonight, Killian would confess his feelings.

He’d been texting her. She’d ignored them. Every passing moment increased her guilt and her fear, and she felt immobilized.

The bathroom door opened and her head shot up. She was sure her expression was akin to a deer caught in headlights. Her features relaxed slightly when she recognized the theater employee that had been working behind the refreshment counter. She met Emma’s eyes.

“You’re here with Sexy Blue Eyes out there, right?”

In spite of her emotional turmoil, Emma cracked a small smile. “I was. I think I blew it.”

“Why’re you hiding? He hit you?”

“No, no, nothing like that. I’m just an emotional mess.”

“Still not over your ex?”

Emma scoffed. “I’m over him. I just don’t know if I can move on.”

The employee perched on the arm at the opposite end of the couch. “What’s wrong with Blue Eyes out there?”

“Nothing. He’s perfect. Too good to be true. That’s the problem.”

“You’re worried something’s gonna happen? The other shoe will drop? That it?”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

“So, lemme get this straight… instead of watching a movie with Mr. Sex-on-a-stick, you’re hiding out in this bathroom on a couch with more than a few cum stains because you think maybe someday he might possibly do something to hurt you?”

Emma stood quickly and shook with disgust. “Really?”

“Oh yeah, honey,” she laughed, glancing down at the worn fabric. “Some kinky shit happens in here when people think no one’s watching.”

“Gross. Now I need a shower.”

“So get out there and get Blue Eyes to take you back to his place and take one with you. Cause if you don’t, I will.” She stood up and walked to a stall, effectively ending the conversation. Emma glanced down at the couch and gagged a little before she grabbed her purse and stepped out the door and into the lobby.

* * *

Forty minutes had now elapsed. The movie was nearly over. Killian was at a loss as to what to do. He contemplated calling Ruby and asking her to call Emma, but remembered she was watching Henry. It was late and lad was likely asleep, but would Ruby be as well? He was just picking up his phone to dial when he saw Emma emerge from the ladies room.

“Emma?” He asked, standing from the bar. “Are you okay?”

She walked over to him and stood close, lacing his hands with hers. “I’m sorry. I got spooked.”

“Why?”

“You said  _my_  love.”

His first thought was  _that was it? That’s what scared you?_ But he held his tongue. She must have been satisfied with his silence as she continued her explanation.

“I don’t know that I’m ready for love, Killian. We’ve only known each other a few months. The last man I was in love with was Neal, and you know how that ended. I’m terrified of getting hurt again.”

“I can understand that, but you should know that this isn’t easy for me either. I just got out of a ten year relationship. Even though I knew things weren’t right with Milah, I stayed because I was afraid of being alone. She dumped me and shoved me out on my own. I wasn’t ready for another relationship.” He moved closer, his lips just a hair’s breadth from hers. “But I know that I don’t want to miss a chance to be with you because I’m scared. You are an amazing woman, and this connection between us is worth exploring.”

In one fluid motion he closed the gap between them and captured her mouth with his own. The kiss, meant to be tender and reassuring, quickly turned frantic. Her lips were soft and warm against his own, her body soft and pliable.

“That’s more like it,” came a voice from behind them, and he turned to see the employee who’d been so kind when he first followed Emma.

Emma flushed but made no move to pull away.

“Come on, love, let’s go finish the movie.”

They re-entered the theater and took new seats, their previous ones being covered in popcorn. They’d missed a significant portion of the film, but neither seemed to mind. As soon as they’d settled, Killian resumed devouring Emma’s delectable lips. Her teeth grazed his lips as she carded her fingers through his hair. He responded in kind by blazing a trail down her neck, sucking hard at the juncture of her shoulder and collarbone. His hand lifted to her breast, alternating between kneading the soft flesh and pinching her nipples into taut peaks. She lifted her hand to the opposite breast, mirroring his motions. He felt the bulge in his pants harden further as he witnessed his Swan pleasuring herself.

“Keep going, Swan. I want to see you touch yourself all over.” His voice was raspy and sharp as he whispered in her ear. “I want to watch you fuck your pussy with your fingers and pretend it’s my cock filling you.”

“Oh Killian. I need you.”

“Yeah,? Where do you need me love? What do you want me to do to you?”

“I want you to fuck me until I cum so hard that I pass out.”

“You naughty minx. Let’s go.”

As they exited the theater, Inigo told Rugen “I want my father back, you son of a bitch” and all the other patrons erupted in cheers. Killian wanted to join them, but his cause for celebration seemed too interested in getting him home to rip his clothes off.

* * *

She couldn’t keep her hands to herself the rest of the journey home. In the car she leaned over, giving him an eyeful of cleavage as her hand massaged his throbbing erection. He felt so good in her hand. She couldn’t wait to undress him and experience the full weight and feel of his cock. He was big. Thinking of how he would fill her up made her squirm in her seat, desperate for relief for her soaked, aching pussy.

“We have several more minutes before we are home, lass. Why don’t you start with a warm up?”

“Oh yeah? What’d you have in mind?”

“You can start by taking off those panties and giving them to me.”

She smiled mischievously at him as she lifted her hips and shimmied her way out of her underwear. She set them gently in his waiting hand. He brought them to his nose, inhaling deeply.

“You smell incredible. I want to taste you again.”

“You have to drive.”

“I do, so you’re going to help me. Hike up your skirt. I want you to touch yourself for me.”

The way he instructed her was not demanding, but still incredibly hot and she squirmed again involuntarily.

“Don’t squirm, Love. Touch yourself.”

She obeyed, pulling her skirt up until it was bunched around her waist. She slid down in the seat, spreading her knees as far apart as she could. Her hand trailed down her stomach until her fingers met her aching clit. She rubbed it vigorously, spreading the wetness that had been building all night. The relief of her pent up arousal was intoxicating, and she whimpered out loud.

“You are so fucking beautiful. Fuck yourself, darling. Pretend you are riding my cock.”

She obeyed, quickly pushing two fingers inside. She ground down on her hand as her thumb sought out her clit.

“That’s it. Good girl.” Keeping his eyes on the road, he reached over and covered her hand with his own, guiding her ministrations.

She felt so wanton and daring. They weren’t on a busy road, but they also weren’t the only drivers out. Anyone driving next to them would have no question about what they were doing, and she found she didn’t care. The prospect of being caught only seemed to enhance the sensations.

Her other hand came up to toy with her breasts, pinching her nipples. She continued to ride her fingers until she couldn’t take it anymore, spilling over the crest of her first orgasm for the night.

“So damn gorgeous. Let me have a taste, darling.” He brought her hand to his mouth and greedily sucked her fingers.

She remained slumped down in the seat, breathing heavily until he finally pulled into the lot behind their building and parked the car. The minute he turned the engine off she surged forward and caught his lips with her own. She could faintly taste herself on his tongue, spurring her desire. He kissed her back fervently, his lips firm on her own. She let herself get lost in the kiss for a moment before pulling away and touching her forehead to his own.

“Let’s go upstairs.”

He gave her a wicked grin before he literally hopped out of the car and ran to her side to open the door. She quickly pushed her skirt back down and slid out of her seat.

The elevator had never moved more slowly, and they had the sad misfortune of not being alone on their ride to his floor. However, once they were safely inside his apartment, he pinned her to the door with his hips, grinding against her center.

“I want. You. Inside. Me,” she panted out between breaths as he assaulted her neck with his teeth and tongue.

“All in good time, darling. But first I want to taste you properly.” He caught her by surprise as he slid his arm under her knees and hauled her bodily to his chest. Her hands moved to encircle his neck, seemingly of their own accord. He carried her the short distance to the bedroom and gently laid her down. Sinking to his knees and grabbing her legs, he pulled her so that her ass was parallel to the edge of the bed. He maneuvered her knees to straddle his shoulders and leaned down to lick a long stripe along her aching cunt.

Only one other man had done this for her, and his skills in this arena were sorely lacking. Killian, on the other hand, was highly skilled and seemed to enjoy it as much as she did. He settled into a rhythm, sliding two fingers into her while his lips and tongue attended to her clit. Emma could feel her next orgasm approaching, her body winding tighter and tighter. He pushed a third finger into her throbbing heat and pumped erratically, never letting up on her clit. She ground her hips into his fingers and lost herself in the sensations.

All at once the coil in her low belly snapped and she came hard. “Killian!” she cried so loud she was certain the neighbors could hear everything. His fingers slowed but did not stop and his attentions to her clit became gentle as she rode the waves. As she came back to herself, she realized her hands were vigorously rubbing through his hair. He looked up at her, his face shiny with her essence and his hair mussed in an incredibly sexy way.

“Take off your clothes,” she commanded. “I need you to fuck me right now.”

“As you wish.”

It was impressive how quickly he rid them both of their clothes. When he was naked, Emma had to pause and take him in. He was an incredible specimen, with lean, taut muscles rippling as he knelt next to her on the bed. His chest was covered in a dusting of soft, dark hair. She’d always thought hairy men would be one of her turn offs, but on him it looked sexy. She bit her lip as she thought about how good it would feel rubbing against her nipples. And his cock. Oh his cock. He was bigger than she’d expected. She couldn’t stop herself as she reached out to encircle her hand around his girth. He felt so good. The smooth, velvety skin contrasted deliciously with the rock hard muscle underneath. She leaned up and wrapped her lips around the tip, tasting the small bead of precum that pooled there. She moaned around him and sucked, bobbing her head to take in more of his impressive length.

His hands came to her shoulder and he pushed her down toward the bed. “Another time, lass, I will gladly let you continue that, but for now I want to feel you wrapped around me.” He leaned over to the bedside table and fished out a foil-wrapped condom. Opening the packet and sliding it down his length, he moved to settle between her legs.

Emma lifted her hips and he positioned himself at her entrance. He slid in just a little and stopped, allowing her to stretch around him. The sensation was incredible, but not enough. “More,” she cried and he obliged, pushing his girth into her waiting heat. But she could tell he was holding back. “Killian! More!” she pleaded, and he thrust the remainder of the way, fully sheathing himself inside.

She moaned loudly in response. It burned, but it was such a delicious burn. He held himself still to allow her muscles to stretch around him. After a moment, she adjusted. “Move,” she pleaded. “I need you to move.”

He complied and pulled nearly the entire way out before plunging back in. He set a punishing rhythm, and it was everything she needed. Her body was so sensitive after her first two orgasms, and it didn’t take long before she felt the stirrings of her third. His hand found her clit and he rubbed her as he continued the pistoning motion of his hips.

“Oh my god, Killian, I’m gonna come again.”

“Let. Go. Love.” he said between thrusts. His usual eloquence had been reduced to be nearly caveman-like, and that somehow was what did her in. She keened and melted into the bed as wave after wave of passion washed over her. He followed her only a moment later, crying out at his release.

She wasn’t sure how, but she ended up tangled in his embrace, covered in sweat and panting for breath.

“That. Was. Incredible,” she said, her breath still uneven.

He smirked and squeezed her shoulder, tilting his head to place a gentle peck on her temple. “Killian Jones never leaves a woman unsatisfied.”

All she could do was smile as she settled deeper into his embrace. She was exhausted after three orgasms. She knew they needed to take a shower. She should start thinking about when to go back up to her apartment. But all she wanted to do was sleep. Her eyes closed of their own accord and she let sleep take her over, nestled in the cocoon of Killian’s warm embrace.


	13. Chapter 13

A soft beeping crept its way into Emma’s dream. A delightful dream where she and Killian were reliving their first date, only without all the drama. Despite her best efforts to ignore it, the beeping continued until she was roused to consciousness. She groaned and looked at the bedside table. Was it 4AM already? She attempted to roll over, but Killian tightened his grip on her waist and pulled her closer to him. **  
**

“A little while longer, love.”

She expelled a wistful sigh. “Killian… you know I just don’t want to take a chance that Henry will find you here. I’m not ready for him to know you spend the night.” Killian mirrored her sigh, but released her.

She sat up and turned off the alarm while turning on the bedside lamp. He stood and pulled on his jeans and t-shirt. Walking around the bed, he sat next to her as he put on his shoes. Emma sat still, feeling guilty.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m just not ready for Henry to find you here in the mornings.”

“You don’t need to apologize, love. I understand. We’ll wait until you feel the time is right.”

He stood and walked to the bathroom and she smiled contently to herself as she watched him go. He was her boyfriend. She had an  _actual_ boyfriend, and the last two months had been some of the happiest she’d experienced.

They hadn’t officially moved in together, but living in the same building blurred the line considerably. Killian spent nearly every night at their place, helping with dinner, or sometimes cooking for them. He would help get Henry to bed. And after Henry was asleep, he and Emma would spend time on the couch watching Netflix. It was all very domestic and felt luxurious to Emma, who’d spent so much of her life doing things on her own.

A few weeks ago, after a particularly long day, Killian stretched out on the couch, with Emma curled into his side. Their intention was to snuggle, talk, and maybe make out a little, but Killian was so tired he ended up falling asleep. Emma couldn’t bring herself to wake him, eventually succumbing to sleep as well. She found she slept better at Killian’s side than ever before. Later that week, after a sleepless night punctuated by bad dreams, she asked Killian if he would lay down with her for a while before heading back to his apartment. They continued in this way for sometime, Killian staying a little later each time.

Emma was still nervous about Henry’s reaction if he found Killian in her bed, so she started setting the alarm early enough that Killian could head down to his apartment before Henry was awake. Her nerves also extended to her son’s reaction if he were to catch them fooling around. She wouldn’t go beyond kissing when Henry was in the apartment. Killian was understanding and supportive to a fault, lending further evidence to Emma’s theory that he was too good to be true.

Their busy work schedules had been the impetus for this new situation. They couldn’t find time for dates. Between Emma’s odd hours at her job and her new tentative custody arrangement with Neal, there wasn’t much time for romance. But she found she liked this even better than she would have liked elaborate dates. It was still early, but she truly felt like she could be falling in love with Killian.

He stepped out of the bathroom and smiled at her. “May I ask why you are staring dreamily in my direction?”

She gave him a playful smile. “Don’t you know? What happened to all that ‘open book’ stuff?”

“I like to hear you admit you’re smitten with me,” he said, sitting next to her on the bed.

“Don’t get too full of yourself, pirate.” She leaned over and gave him a soft kiss.

“I much prefer it when you are filled with me, darling,” he growled in her ear as he pulled away from the kiss. Her nipples tightened and there was a rush a heat between her legs.

“You’re a  _bloody_  tease,” she said, doing her best to imitate his accent. He gave her a wicked grin, and she sighed longingly. “I miss you.”

“We see one another daily.”

“Yes, but we haven’t… you know… in a while.”

“Been feeling a bit deprived lately?” His wicked grin returned, causing her to shudder involuntarily. Oh… this man did things to her.

“I need to set up another sleepover for Henry with Roland.”

“Or you could allow Neal the overnight visit he’s been asking for.”

She suddenly felt as if he’d dumped a bucket of ice cold water on her head. Her mood changed instantly from aroused to angry. “You know I haven’t made my mind up about that,” she said with a glare.

“Aye, that I do, and I am suggesting that you think on it some more this morning. You and Henry will see him this afternoon, and he’s likely to ask about it again. You can’t keep putting him off forever.”

Emma’s mouth settled into a firm line. She knew she had to budge on this, but it was a sore spot. How could she trust Neal alone with Henry after everything he’d done to her? The only concession she’d made in the last two months was to stop insisting Milah be there for every visit. She still did not feel comfortable with the idea of allowing Neal to see Henry unsupervised. But it was now three months since she found Neal, and even she was starting to wonder what would have to happen to change her mind.

Killian stood, the motion pulling her out of her thought spiral. She looked up at him, and he leaned down, cupping her chin in his hand. “Don’t worry too much about it right now, love. Why don’t you get a little more sleep? Text me when Henry’s up, and I’ll come back up and make breakfast for us.”

“Okay,” she replied in a near whisper. She reached up and slid her hand around his neck, pulling him close to her. When his lips were millimeters from her own, she added “but only if you help me get back to my dream where you were ravishing me.”

He growled softly and captured her mouth with his own. Their lips danced in a furious pattern, his tongue tangling with hers. Simultaneously, they each tilted their heads, taking in more of the other. His hand threaded through her hair, while her own slipped under his shirt, raking through the trail of fuzz on his lower stomach.

Finally he pulled back, planting a soft, chaste kiss on her lips before standing at his full height. “You, darling,” he said with a smirk, “are the bloody tease. Get back to your dream. I will lock up.”

She sighed and fell back on the bed. She heard him leave the apartment and lock the deadbolt, but she had a very hard time falling back asleep. All she wanted was her boyfriend by her side.

* * *

“Henry! Slow down!” Emma called as her son bounded up the steps to Neal’s door later that day. Despite her own misgivings, she was happy to see the relationship developing between Henry and his father. Henry loved these visits, and Neal loved seeing Henry. Seeing her son’s excitement made her rethink her earlier reluctance. Maybe she should give Neal more of a chance.

Henry stood on his tiptoes, straining to reach the doorbell. Laughing, Emma caught up to him. “I’ll help you, kid.” She picked the boy up by his midsection and lifted him so he could press the button. Henry giggled when he heard the sound and pressed it again twice before Emma could stop him.

“Alright. Alright! I’m coming. Chill out!” Emma heard a female voice call from the back of the house. It was a voice she didn’t recognize, and she had a moment of panic, wondering if Neal had moved without telling her.

The door swung open, and a beautiful, raven-haired girl stood before them. “Can I help you?” She asked, not exactly sounding unfriendly, but definitely unsure about the mother-son duo currently on her doorstep.

“I was looking for Neal.”

“Oh my god!” Her tone changed instantly. “You must be Emma. I completely lost track of time. Come in, come in. I’m Tamara, Neal’s girlfriend.”

They stepped inside and stood awkwardly in the foyer. “Is Neal here?”

“He had to run to the store. He should be back any minute.”

Henry clung to Emma’s leg, all his earlier exuberance gone in the presence of a stranger. Tamara seemed unsure of what to do with them, so they stood there not talking and avoiding one another’s eyes.

“So,” Emma said, finally breaking the silence, “how long have you and Neal been dating? We’ve been doing these visits weekly and he’s never mentioned you before.”

“It’s been about a month. I asked him to keep it quiet for a while. I don’t like everyone up in our business, you know? But, now that we live together, I figured we couldn’t keep it a secret anymore.”

“You live here?”

“Yeah. I moved in yesterday. I know a lot of people would say it’s too soon, but my lease was ending, and when you know it’s right, you just have to go for it. Right?”

Emma wasn’t sure how to respond, and was preparing herself for another awkward silence when the door opened and Neal stepped in.

“Daddy!” Henry cried, running to Neal.

“Hey buddy!” Neal said, bending down to give his son a hug. He looked up at Emma. “I’m sorry I’m late. I had to go run an errand. I thought I’d be back in time, but I didn’t account for traffic.”

“It’s okay,” Emma replied. “I was just getting to know your new girlfriend.”

Neal leaned over, Henry still attached to his legs, and planted a quick kiss on Tamara’s cheek. “Thanks for keeping them company, babe.” He them turned back to Henry. “Now let’s go into the backyard. I have a surprise for the soon to be birthday boy.”

“Really?” Henry cried. “What is it?”

“Come see.”

The surprise turned out to be a soccer set. For the rest of the afternoon, Neal attempted to coach Henry on how to play soccer, but it was a tough challenge for an almost five year-old. Emma watched from the back porch, while Tamara flitted in and out, making no conversation.

“It was so awkward,” she told Killian that night. “She hardly spoke to me, but she would come sit out there and mess with her phone. There’s something weird about her. Do you think she’s using Neal?”

“To what end?”

“Money? A free place to live? You know Gold doesn’t charge Neal rent.”

“It’s possible, but maybe there were other factors at play.”

“Such as?”

“Perhaps the awkwardness had more to do with the fact that you are his ex and the mother of his child. That can feel threatening to a partner in a well-established relationship, to say nothing of a new one such as theirs.”

“Maybe… I don’t know. It just seems off. I mean, they’ve been dating a month and I never heard about her until after she moves in? And who moves in with someone after just a month?”

“Didn’t you move in with Neal the day you met him?”

“That was different. We were living in a car. And I was a dumb seventeen year-old.”

“I’m not saying you have to like her Swan, but give her a chance before you brush her off. Neal has backed off of me. You can return the favor.”

“Maybe. We’ll see.

* * *

Killian stood in the costume shop, waiting for Emma. Henry’s birthday party was this weekend, and Emma’d spared no expense to give the lad the pirate party he’d been asking for. She’d found a pirate-themed children’s play center, complete with a large-scale replica of a pirate ship, and purchased eye patches, foam swords, and bags of gold foil-wrapped chocolate coins for the children’s favors. This morning, she’d asked Killian if he would be willing to dress as a pirate as an extra surprise for Henry. Killian was quite fond of the lad, and would gladly do anything to help secure the boy’s happiness. If wearing a silly costume for a few hours was what it took, he saw no issue with doing so.

He caught a flash of yellow outside the shop windows and saw Emma park her Bug. Within a moment she was inside the store.

“Am I late?” She asked when she saw him standing there.

“No, love. I was early.” He laced his hand with her own. “Should we take a look around?”

The store proprietor had a catalogue of the costumes available for rent. He quickly turned to the pirate section, which had only two options. The first option was an over-the-top, flamboyant ensemble with a velvet coat and matching, broad-brimmed hat adorned with an impossibly large feather. The model wore a terrible looking wig styled in what looked like a botched perm. The second outfit included a striped shirt, breeches, and a patchwork vest. Neither choice appealed to them.

Emma looked at the proprietor. “Don’t you have anything… less cartoonish?”

“Swan, it’s a children’s birthday party. I’m alright with looking a little ridiculous.”

“I can’t let you be seen in either of those atrocities.”

The other man chuckled. “I suppose they are a little out of date. I don’t have any more rentals, but I think we could piece something together for you.”

He led Emma and Killian through the store, picking from the racks tight leather pants, a blousy black shirt, an embroidered red leather vest, and a heavy leather jacket. He shoved the clothes into Killian’s arms and pointed toward the changing area. “Check for the fit.”

Emma stood just outside the door while he struggled into the pants. The shirt had elaborate buttons spaced closely together all the way up to the high-necked collar, and his hand started cramping as he fastened them. Once he closed the shirt to just below his sternum, he decided to leave the rest open. It exposed a fair amount of his chest, but it seemed fitting for a pirate. He donned the vest, rather liking the contrast with the black shirt and pants. When he shrugged on the coat, he had to admit he liked the effect. He looked every bit the ruthless pirate. Like something straight out of Black Sails.

He stepped out of the stall and presented himself to Emma. She stood gaping open-mouthed for longer than was strictly polite, but he couldn’t bring himself to mind.

“See something you like?”

She rolled her eyes but gave him a playful smirk. “As if you need to hear it. You know you look incredible.”

He smiled. Oh how he loved this woman. He’d been careful not to say the words since that first night, terrified about scaring her away again. He walked toward her and leaned down. She tilted her head up, expectantly waiting for his lips to meet hers, but he stopped just mere inches away. “Perhaps I enjoy hearing how attractive you find me.” He stayed frozen, even after her mouth puckered into an adorable pout.

“You look incredibly sexy.” Her voice was barely a whisper.

Satisfied, he closed the gap and gave her a chaste peck. “Then I’d say this ensemble is worth the investment.”

The shop owner helped the round out the costume with boots, jewelry, and a hook-hand attachment. “You know, to really sell it,” he said.

Emma was bouncing on the balls of her feet. “Henry’s going to be so excited when he sees you!”

“Might I suggest applying a bit of kohl to the lower lid? It was a common practice among pirates and will add a nice finishing touch.”

Killian chuckled as he handed the man his credit card. “I don’t think a group of five year-olds is going to be worried about things like that.”

“We can give it a shot,” Emma said. “If it looks bad, I’ve got eye makeup remover.”

* * *

The day of the party arrived, and Killian was nervous. He didn’t like admitting it. Today was for Henry. But, as it was the boy’s birthday party, Milah and Neal were invited. Killian had no nerves about encountering his old friend. He had not seen the younger man since the encounter in his office earlier in the summer, but according to Emma, the hostility Neal had previously shown was now reigned in. She reported that the visits were more relaxed, with Neal no longer trying to make a case as to why Killian was an inherently bad person.

No, his nerves were entirely due to an uneasiness about seeing Milah again. They’d not spoken since the breakup, other than to exchange well wishes via Emma. Emma assured him that Milah was at peace with his new relationship, but Killian couldn’t help recalling his empty promises to never date his now girlfriend. When he’d been pleading with Milah, claiming he couldn’t imagine a life without her. Now he was happy, happier than he’d been in years, and that made him feel guilty.

Emma insisted that Milah seemed truly happy as well, which gave Killian hope. Although she was not dating anyone, he’d heard that she was designing wedding gowns and had plans to attend fashion week in New York. He was proud of her accomplishments, and hoped to have a chance to tell her so today.

He showered and dressed in his pirate ensemble. Emma and Henry had already left for the party. He stepped out of his apartment and headed downstairs, getting a few curious looks from the neighbors. He imagined it wasn’t often they saw a pirate in their midst. Settling into his car, he removed the hook attachment and placed it on the seat beside him. The August heat was merciless, and he had to remove the jacket and unbutton the vest as well. He started the car and turned the air conditioning on to full blast. Once his body temperature had calmed somewhat, he put the car in reverse and backed out of his spot, heading for the party.

As Swan instructed, he parked behind the venue and donned his pirate garb once again. He approached the door labeled “Shipwrecked Playhouse: Staff Only” and knocked.

A kind-looking woman with pale blonde hair opened the door. “You must be Killian! I’m Ingrid, the owner of Shipwrecked,” she said, her tone low and breathy. “Come on in. You must be roasting in that getup.”

“Aye, lass, that I am. Thank you.”

“Well, if it’s any consolation, you look fantastic. Like a real pirate.”

“Thank you, my dear.”

“Follow me, the party is through here.”

Ingrid led him to through a hall and told him to wait just near the entrance to the play area. She ducked inside and a moment later emerged with Emma behind her.

Seeing him fully decked out, Emma’s eyes took on a hungry cast once more, and he couldn’t help the salacious grin he gave her. Unconsciously, they walked toward one another, the pull almost magnetic. When he realized they were so close, he leaned down. She closed her eyes and tilted her head up. He placed a soft kiss on her lips before pulling back and posing for her. “Rather dashing, don’t you think?”

She cleared her throat and stepped back slightly. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but maybe you should wear eyeliner more frequently. It makes your eyes look more blue than I thought possible.”

He stood transfixed by her gaze, nearly forgetting where they were until he heard Ingrid politely clear her throat.

“It’s nice to see a young couple so in love. Henry is fortunate to have parents who make each other a priority. That’s how you keep a relationship strong.”

Emma stumbled backward at the other woman’s words. “Um… love… we’re not… that’s not…”

As patient as he was trying to be, Killian couldn’t help the anger that bubbled up at Emma’s fear of the word ‘love.’ Opting to change the subject, he turned to his lady. “Shall we head into the party?”

“Yes,” Emma said, recovering. “Henry is going to be so excited when he sees you. Do you have the hook?”

He lifted his left arm, displaying the appendage. “I do indeed. Now, let’s go see that filthy bilge rat you call son. He has crossed Captain Hook for the last time.”

* * *

Emma smiled to herself as she watched Killian run around the play center, chasing after Henry and his friends. The party was a great success, and Henry was having a wonderful time. The room was filled with laughter. She didn’t often congratulate herself for it, but she definitely felt that this was a ‘parenting win.’

“He’s really good with the children.”

Emma started as she heard Milah’s voice. She’d been so lost in thought that she hadn’t noticed the other woman’s approach. But she smiled to see her friend. “Yeah, he really is.”

“He’s nervous about seeing me, isn’t he?”

“How did you know?”

“I know Killian. But I can assure you that he doesn’t need to worry. Neither of you need to worry. I care for you both and want to see you happy.”

“You’re sure? It feels a little strange, like I’ve broken some sort of woman code… or something.”

Milah smiled. “It’s strange for me as well, and I’m sure an outsider wouldn’t understand it. But I broke up with him because we weren’t happy. Liam was right. We were both so afraid of making a change. I’m glad we did, though. I feel like I’ve accomplished so much. And he looks happy. You look happy.”

“Thank you,” Emma said with a smile. Milah surprised her then, pulling her into a hug. As they separated, She noticed Neal and Tamara approaching. Milah’s face lit up, Emma assumed in response to seeing her son. So she was shocked as she watched Milah embrace Tamara.

“It’s so good to see you.” She broke the hug and looped her arm with Tamara’s and turned to Emma. “Emma, have you met Tamara?”

“Yeah, we met last Sunday. You know her?”

Milah smiled. “I introduced her to Neal. Tamara is one of my best customers. She has an impeccable sense of style.”

Emma reassessed her own attire of jeans and a t-shirt with sneakers, and couldn’t help feeling sloppy in Tamara’s presence. “I didn’t know you would be here today.”

“It’s okay, right?” Neal asked

“Of course. I just wish I’d known we had an extra person so I could’ve made sure we’d have enough pizza and drinks.”

“You don’t need to worry about me,” Tamara said. “I’m on a strict diet, no pizza or soda allowed. I’m training for a marathon.”

“Oh, okay.” Emma wasn’t sure how to respond and glanced around the room, looking for a way to extract herself from this situation. David and Rob were roughhousing with the boys while Mary Margaret and Regina looked on. Emma excused herself to join them, but was stopped by Ingrid.

“Emma, should we grab Killian and Henry? It’s almost time for cake, and I like to have the child’s mother and father stand with him while everyone sings.”

Neal overheard her and spun to face the older woman. His voice boomed through the small play center, silencing the children.“Killian is NOT Henry’s father! I am!”

Poor Ingrid was flustered at his outburst. Emma was incensed and Milah tried to intercede. “Neal, honestly, it was a mistake. Don’t do this.”

Neal held up his hand dismissively. “No, mom, you don’t get to defend your precious Killy right now.”

“Neal,” Emma seethed. “Don’t do this here.”

He paused and seemed to take stock of their surroundings. “Let the kids play for a bit longer. We need to talk outside.” He turned and walked out the door before Emma could argue, Tamara and Milah following in his wake.

Emma stood flabbergasted for a moment before she murmured an apology to Ingrid and stepped into the parking lot. She caught Killian’s eye as she exited, and he moved to follow her.

Neal was pacing across several empty parking spaces on the side of the building. When he saw Emma, he turned and continued his tirade.

“I am so sick of you, Emma!”

“Me?” She couldn’t help the anger in her voice. “You’re sick of me?”

“Yes! Ever since I came back, I have been trying to do everything to connect with Henry and make peace with you, but all you give me is two hours every Sunday! Meanwhile the man who broke up my parents gets to hang around and spend as much time as he wants with  _MY_  son!”

“Now hold on a second,” Milah interjected, “Killian didn’t break up your father and I. You know that’s not the case.”

He rubbed his temple and heave an irritated sigh. “I can’t listen to you, mom. You always choose perfect Killian over me. I think you secretly wish he was your son instead of me.”

Milah was stricken by this accusation. She stepped back, away from Tamara, who stood paralyzed between her boyfriend and his mother. Emma opened her mouth to respond to Neal, but was cut off by Killian.

“Neal, stop this tantrum before you say something you’ll regret.” He stood tall, his stance wide, right hand resting on his elaborate belt.

Neal whirled to face Killian. He furrowed his brow and held his hand aloft. Narrowing his gaze, he scoffed. “Yeah… I can’t talk to you when you’re dressed like that.” He dropped his hand and turned back to Emma. “And that’s another thing! You didn’t even think to ask me if I wanted to dress up for my son’s birthday party. No. You just go ask old Killian again! Henry’s hardly said two words to me today, but he cheered when he saw Captain Hook over there enter the room. I can’t win with you, Emma, and you’re doing everything you can to make sure I can’t win with Henry. If you only planned to shut me out, why’d you even come looking for me in the first place?”

“I’m shutting you out?!” Emma balled up her fists and leaned in to him as she shouted. “Get over yourself! You shut me out when you abandoned me! When you let me give birth to Henry while I was handcuffed to a hospital bed! When you never came looking for us! I would have been happy to never see you again, but I wanted to do the right thing for MY son! You’re lucky I give you two hours a week!”

Neal stepped into her space. “I’m gonna take your ass to court and get full custody of Henry! I’ll keep him away from you, and see how you like it. You’d better get a good lawyer!”

His tone was menacing, and Emma felt her heart seize at the thought of losing Henry. Thankfully, Regina had stepped out a moment earlier, and heard Neal’s threat.

“Mr. Cassidy,” Regina began, “No judge in the state of Massachusetts or anywhere else would grant you full custody of Henry.”

“Who the hell are you?”

“Regina Mills, Miss Swan’s attorney.” Her posture and commanding tone conveyed her displeasure with his behavior.

“You brought your damn lawyer here?!”

Emma felt defeated. She pointed to Regina. “She’s a guest, Neal. Her son is Henry’s best friend.”

“I also happen to specialize in Family Law. You are welcome to bring suit against Miss Swan, but you will only do yourself more harm. You have no job, no established residence, and a history of criminal activity. The outcome would likely be the judge assigning a social worker to be present at each visit with Henry.”

“How do you know I don’t have a job?”

“Your father’s not the only one who knows how to do surveillance,” Emma replied as she shuffled her feet.

Neal glared at her. The air was thick with tension as they stared daggers at one another.

“Might I make a suggestion?” Regina said, breaking the silence.

“What?” Emma asked. She had no clue what Regina was about to say.

“If you truly care for Henry, Mr. Cassidy, and want to spend more time with him, I suggest working gradually toward unsupervised visits, instead of getting the courts involved.”

“What do you mean?”

“Begin by meeting Emma at a public place, such as a park, and you take charge of Henry while Emma is away for an hour, but at a nearby location. Once he is returned safely, this could be repeated, with increases in the time interval. Maybe you take him to a movie, or to see a hockey game. Based on the results of these outings, Emma may permit you to have one on one time with Henry in your home.”

“How long would that take?”

“It’s not going to happen overnight. But if you can agree to prove you are worthy of caring for Henry, and Emma can agree to set aside her own sense of betrayal, I think you could come to a situation that is more desirable. And perhaps we can avoid any more shouting matches in the parking lot of a children’s play center.”

Neal looked almost hopeful as he turned to Emma. “What do you say, Ems? Can we bury the hatchet?”

Emma hesitated. “Can I have some time to think about it?”

“Oh for chr…” Neal grabbed Tamara and walked back toward the party. “C’mon babe. Let’s go say bye to Henry. We’re obviously not wanted here.”

He’d nearly turned the corner when Emma called out. “Neal… wait!” He stopped and turned to face her. “Fine,” she huffed. “We can start with a park playdate tomorrow. I will step away and go to the diner nearby. You can have some time with Henry, just the two of you.”

“Well, I guess it’s better than nothing. We should go back inside. Didn’t that woman say we needed to stand by Henry while everyone else sings to him? Wouldn’t want our boy to miss out on his cake.”

He walked back inside, leaving Emma, Kilian, Milah, and Regina in the lot. Regina patted Emma on the shoulder. “I’ll tell Ingrid you need another minute.”

“Thanks Regina.” Emma looked at Milah, who was on the verge of tears.

“Love?” Killian spoke gently as he looked at Milah.

“When will he stop punishing me?” Milah asked, refusing to take her eyes off the pavement under her feet.

“Milah, are you okay?” Emma asked.

She looked up then, training her eyes on the two lovers. “Look, I am happy for you both, I really am. But right now I need to fix my relationship with my son. I’m here today for Henry, but after today I need to focus on Neal. I don’t want you to take it personally, Emma, but I’m not going to answer your calls for a while.”

Emma felt her eyes tear up, but she nodded. “I get it. But please give me a call if there is anything I can do for you. I don’t want you to be alone.”

“I appreciate that.” She turned and walked back inside.

Emma stood next to Killian and leaned into him. He put his arm, still holding the fake hook, around her shoulders “What do we do now?” She asked.

“We go back inside, have some cake, and put on the biggest fake smiles we can muster to get through the rest of this party. For Henry.”

“For Henry,” she agreed. They laced their hands together and returned to the party.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut warning, at the end of this chapter. If you want to avoid it, just skip the last section.

It had been 40 minutes since she last saw Henry, and Emma wanted nothing more than to run back to the spot where she’d dropped him off, snatch him up, and never let him leave her sight again. But, as promised, she’d met Neal at the park with the intention of allowing him to take charge of Henry for one hour without oversight. Her mind spiraled through a series of ever-worsening scenarios. Logically she knew they were all unlikely. Neal would not let Henry get hurt.  He seemed to genuinely love his son. Then again, Emma had thought at one point he’d loved her, but that didn’t stop his betrayal.

She and Killian waited at the diner nearby, he sipping coffee while her hot cocoa turned cold. A plate of onion rings sat untouched between them, Emma too nervous to eat. She dared a glance at Killian as he graded papers on his laptop. He’d tried to calm her when she’d first arrived, but quickly realized it was a futile exercise. They both knew that she would not be content until she had Henry back. Neal was due to bring Henry to the diner in at 1:00. She just had to get through another 15 minutes.

“Nearly there, love,” Killian said, reaching across the table to lace his fingers with hers.

She gave him a tight smile. “How am I supposed to keep doing this?”

He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. “It will get easier. Once Neal proves himself to be trustworthy.”

“Yeah, I think that’s an unattainable goal for Mr. Cassidy,” she scoffed.

He heaved a sigh as the corners of his mouth fell. “I know this is difficult, love, but for Henry’s sake, you should try to give Neal the benefit of the doubt. I am not saying you forgive him for what he has done, at least not until you are ready, but try to believe that he will do the right things for his son.”

She groaned. “You’re right. It’s just really hard for me to see him as anything other than the man who betrayed me when I was at my most vulnerable.”

“I know, but Neal wasn’t always so cowardly. Have I ever told you how we first became friends?”

“No. Milah told me you were the TA for his sophomore history class, but that’s it.”

Killian closed his laptop and sat back in his seat. “Aye, I was the teaching assistant. It was the first year of my graduate program. After spending so much of my early twenties traveling and promoting my book, being so stationary made me restless. I had a hard time making friends. I chose to attend Storybrooke because Dr. Nemo was an expert on Maritime History, but I did not socialize with anyone other than him.

“Neal also seemed to be a loner. He struggled in class, but showed great interest when Dr. Nemo gave a lecture on ancient sailing techniques. Neal chose to write a paper on the use of celestial navigation in those cultures, and Dr. Nemo referred him to me to help with that.”

“And then he invited you to Thanksgiving at his house, where you met Milah?”

He flushed. “I did, but before that time, Neal and I were fast friends. He is a good man.”

“You’re not convincing me to change my mind. A good man he may be, but he still left me.”

The door of the diner opened. Emma automatically looked up, as she had done with every patron entering since she and Killian sat down. She recognized the newcomer, but it was not Neal. Rather, Tamara entered, making eye contact and walking to their table.

“Hi,” she said, standing at the in the aisle. She couldn’t seem to stay still, swinging her arms at her side and toying with the ends of her hair.

When it became clear that she wouldn’t be saying more, Emma jumped in. “Hi… are you here to meet Neal?”

Her gaze was downcast, seeming to want to look anywhere but Emma’s eyes. “Um… yeah. He told me he was meeting you here.”

“Oh…”

Killian looked between them before he pushed his laptop to the other side of the table and slid out of the booth. Gesturing to Tamara, he asked “Would you like to sit down?”

“Thanks,”  she said, taking a seat on the very edge of the bench.

Emma scooted over to let Killian sit next to her. “Do you know if Neal is on his way?”

Tamara made a sound somewhere between a laugh and an annoyed sigh. “He hasn’t texted me since before you and Henry showed up at the park. So, I guess that means they are having a good time.”

“I guess so…” Emma trailed off.

A few more minutes passed in tense silence before the door opened again, and Neal walked in, carrying a very tired looking Henry.

Neal pointed to their table, and Henry cried “Mama!” when he saw Emma. Emma’s head shot up at the sound and she moved to stand up, forgetting she was trapped in the booth. Killian stood to let her out, and she ran down the narrow aisle to capture her son in a hug. Neal walked to the table, and Emma followed, clinging tightly to Henry. They reached the table, and Killian slid over to let Emma sit on the outside.

Neal stood at the end of the table and wiped his palms on his jeans. He shuffled his feet and cleared his throat. “Uh… Emma, I was wondering if you would let me buy you and Killian lunch. As an apology for yesterday.”

Emma had to take a moment to process his words. She was not used to Neal apologizing to her. “Um… okay,” she said as she gave him a questioning look. Neal’s shoulders visibly relaxed, and he motioned to Tamara to move over to give him room to sit down.

Emma hugged Henry close. “Did you have a good time, kid?”

“Yeah! Daddy brought a soccer ball and we practiced! I wanna play soccer on a team!” Henry’s eyes went wide and he waved his hands excitedly as he spoke.

Emma looked at Neal in confusion. “Do they have leagues for kids his age?”

“Yeah, um… I don’t… I don’t know.” He leaned back in his seat and threw his arm across the back of the bench. “I was just telling him about professional soccer leagues. But I could look into it, if you want.” He tilted his head and gave her the same cocky smirk that used to melt her insides.

She gave him a genuine smile. “Yeah, that might be nice.”

The waitress came and took drink orders, dropping off menus for Neal and Tamara. Once they’d ordered their food, the table fell quiet.

After several minutes of awkward silence, Neal cleared his throat again. “Just so you know, I did get a job, despite what your friend Regina might think.”

Emma met his gaze briefly, before looking down at her son, who was now settled between her and Killian. She reached down and pushed his shaggy hair from his eyes. “Regina’s just looking out for Henry. She was his foster mother for the first two years of his life. She cares for him like he’s her own son.”

Neal raised his brow. “Right… well, anyway, I got a job. I’m working for the property management company my father uses for his residential properties. Doing maintenance for them.”

“Congratulations.”

“Thanks. I really like working with my hands. It’s a good fit for me.”

“I am glad to hear you are getting back on your feet,” Killian interjected.

Neal looked shocked for a moment when Killian spoke, as if he’d forgotten there were other people at the table. But he recovered quickly enough. “Thanks, man. Listen, I’m sorry for the way I’ve been behaving.”

Killian casually waved his hand. “Water under the bridge, mate.”

Tamara looked uncomfortable, stuck on the inside of the booth with no way to contribute to the conversation. Taking a cue from Neal’s seemingly reformed behavior, Emma decided to throw her a bone.

“So, Tamara, what do you do?”

“Pharmaceutical sales,” she replied. She was typing something on her phone and did not look at Emma as she spoke.

Emma paused a beat to see if Tamara would look up and say more. After another minute of tension, she replied “Oh, that sounds interesting.”

Tamara put her hands on the table and finally met Emma’s gaze. “Not really. More like a bunch of handsy old doctors who try to get free samples from me with no commitment to actually prescribe the product.” Her tone was laced with vitriol. The table fell quiet once more.

For the second time that day, Neal rescued the conversation. “But, uh, Tamara is gonna go back to school. For nursing.”

Continuing to follow Neal’s example, Emma turned toward Tamara again. “What got you interested in nursing?”

“I really like to help people,” she replied. Her tone was flat and there was no conviction behind her words. Emma didn’t need her internal lie detector to know Tamara was lying.

Blessedly, their food arrived, giving them all a reprieve. Emma observed her companions closely, watching their dynamic. Neal was affectionate with Tamara, and she returned his smiles, but she didn’t seem sincere in her responses. She hardly ever initiated contact and spent more time looking at her phone than she did engaging with her table mates. Neal seemed oblivious to her disinterest. Emma was very suspicious of Tamara’s motives. She was an attractive, young, seemingly successful girl. What could she see in a guy like Neal?

As they finished eating, Tamara motioned to Neal to let her out of the booth. She walked down the narrow aisle toward the restroom. Henry took that opportunity to join his father on the other side of the booth, drawing a picture on the back of his placemat. Tamara’s absence dragged on, and finally Emma offered to go see if she was alright. She walked down the aisle and reached the swinging door that led to the restrooms just as Tamara was exiting. They collided, and Tamara’s purse fell to the floor, scattering its contents.

Emma flushed. “Sorry!” she said. “I was coming to see if you were okay.”

Tamara gave her a genuine smile. “It’s not your fault. I’ve been out of it all afternoon. I’m sorry I’ve been acting so weird. This is all just a bit strange for me, you know?”

Emma chuckled uneasily. “Tell me about it. It’s confusing to me, and I’m living it.”

They both smiled, and there seemed to be a genuine connection between them for a fleeting moment. They both looked to the floor and started gathering up Tamara’s things.

Emma reached for a small notebook that had fallen open. She tried not to look at the contents, she really did, but she couldn’t help but notice that it contained addresses. Addresses for Henry’s daycare, Emma’s apartment, and Regina’s house.

She’d noticed all this in a second, while Tamara’s back was turned, chasing a lipstick that had skidded some distance. Emma quickly closed the notebook and handed it to Tamara, giving no indication that she knew what was inside.

They gathered her other things and returned to the table.

* * *

Neal’s solo visits continued, even keeping Henry out of daycare once so they could spend the day together. One evening, a week and a half after the first visit, Mary Margaret called Emma as she was preparing dinner.

“Hey M&M,” Emma answered.

_“Hi! Do you have a minute?”_

“Um… sure. I’m just making dinner. Is everything okay?”

_“I’m having some weird pregnancy symptoms. My doctor and everything I’ve read online say it’s completely normal, but I really want to talk to someone I know who’s been pregnant. Just in case.”_

“Ha… well, I’m not sure I’m any more qualified than those people. And don’t forget that I was in jail when I was pregnant, so my prenatal care wasn’t exactly top notch.”

_“Humor me, please.”_

“Okay.”

Mary Margaret proceeded to list several complaints. All of which were indeed normal, though Emma hadn’t experienced them all.

“I’m sorry I can’t help you more. Everyone’s body is different, right?”

_“Maybe, but I am so tired of pooping like a rabbit!”_

Emma barked a loud laugh. Henry, who was playing with his play dough, looked up. “What is it, Mommy?”

She bit her tongue to stop another laugh. “Miss Mary just said something funny, that’s all.”

He tilted his head and gave her a look that was all to reminiscent of his father. “What?”

Emma pondered for a moment, then remembered her son was five and thus had a five year-old’s sense of humor. “She said poop.”

Henry giggled loudly, though she could tell it was a bit forced. He was trying to keep up with the grown ups. Talking with Mary Margaret made her think back to when he was a baby, and reflecting on how much he’d grown since then.

 _“Emma?”_ Mary Margaret said.  _“You still there?”_

“Oh, yeah… sorry. This pregnancy talk just has me thinking about Henry when he was a baby.”

_“He has grown so much. I see it every day with my kids, but it’s always hard to watch them get older.”_

“Yeah…”

 _“You know…”_ Mary Margaret began again, _“we haven’t really had a chance to talk since before Henry’s party. How have the visits with Neal been going?”_

“Better than I expected. Henry seems to really have a good time. He sleeps like a rock every night after he spends time with Neal, so he must be playing hard.”

_“Have you had any more trouble with Neal?”_

“No. He is really making an effort. He bought lunch for Killian and I after the first visit, as an apology for how he acted at the party.”

 _“Was it awkward sitting at the table with him?”_  Mary Margaret was fascinated by the dynamic between Emma and Neal. Having never dated anyone other than David (with the exception of a failed one-night stand she refused to acknowledge), she had trouble understanding how two exes could co-exist.

“Neal wasn’t the one that made it awkward. He even made an effort to get along with Killian. I was impressed.”

_“So what made it awkward?”_

“Tamara. She’s so weird. She just sat there and barely talked, and when she did, she was lying through her teeth. Something is up with her.”

_“What do you mean by that?”_

“I bumped into her… like, literally bumped, outside of the bathrooms, and her purse fell. I helped her pick her stuff up, and she had a notebook with addresses for my place, the daycare, and Regina’s house.”

_“I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation for that.”_

“I’m not! Why would she need that? She’s barely been dating Neal, and now she’s gathering information so she can co-parent Henry? I don’t buy it.”

 _“Emma,”_ her friend hissed,  _“keep your voice down.”_

“Why?”

_“Because I know your son is sitting close by. If he hears you bad-mouthing his dad’s girlfriend, he’s going to get ideas in his head I am sure you don’t want to deal with.”_

Emma rolled her eyes. “I’m not bad mouthing her! I have legitimate concerns about what she’s doing.”

_“You don’t think there’s maybe just a little bias on your part?”_

“No way. I do not have feelings for Neal. That is never happening again.”

_“Correction: you don’t have romantic feelings for Neal. But you still harbor a lot of anger toward him. I think you subconsciously don’t want him to be happy, and you’re trying to find any reason to keep him from having a good relationship.”_

“I am not trying to break them up!”

_“I didn’t say you were. But it does seem like you’re trying to find something wrong with Tamara.”_

“Well, even without the addresses, she was lying through her teeth at the restaurant that day. She said she wanted to be a nurse because she loves to help people, but her smile was fake and there was no conviction behind her words. You know I can spot a lie. She was definitely trying to hide something.”

_“Your ‘superpower’ has been known to be unreliable, especially when you’re emotional.”_

“For the last time, I don’t want to get back together with Neal. I’m happy with Killian.”

_“Good. And now let Neal have a chance to find his happiness with Tamara. Give her a break, Emma. This can’t be easy for her.”_

Emma grumbled something that sounded like agreement. Thankfully, the timer went off, indicating that her boxed casserole was ready. “I’ve gotta go. Dinner’s ready.”

_“Okay. We’ll catch up again later. Thanks for helping me out.”_

She hung up the phone and donned her oven mitts. As she placed the casserole on the stove and turned off the oven, she heard Henry call out “Mama?”

“Yeah kid?” She called back as she removed the mitts.

“Are you gonna marry Killy?”

That made her pause. She walked out of the tiny kitchen and looked at her son, sitting at the dinette. “Um… I don’t know. Killy and I haven’t been dating very long. People don’t normally get married until after they’ve known each other a while.”

“Okay. But it’s okay if you want to marry Killy. I like him.”

Emma smiled. “Thank you baby. I’m glad you like Killy.” She thought about engaging Henry more on the subject, but the topic made her more than a little nervous, so she returned to serving dinner.

* * *

On Friday, Killian worked from home. Around 2:00, he heard a key in the door and turned from the desk in the corner of his living room to see Emma walk through the door.. “Well,” she said as she flopped on the couch, “Neal managed to get me to agree to let Henry spend the night tomorrow.”

He stood from and joined her on the couch. “Are you ready for that? It’s only been two weeks since he started having these one-on-one visits with Henry.”

Her head fell and she rubbed her temples, pressing so hard she left a white indent in the flesh. “He didn’t leave me much choice. He called to tell me he’d gotten them tickets to a soccer game and casually mentioned that Henry’s room was all set up now and that he couldn’t wait to show us. As soon as Henry sees that, there’s no way he won’t beg to spend the night. And if I say no, then I look like the jerk.”

He put his arm around her and pulled her into his embrace. “That’s big of you, Swan. I know this hasn’t been easy for you.”

“It’s not just up to me anymore. Henry really loves spending time with his dad.” She sighed. “But, I’m still worried. How can I not be? Especially with Tamara lurking around. I still don’t trust her.”

“But Neal wouldn’t let anything happen to Henry. He’d protect the boy with his life.”

“You’re right there. He does love Henry.”

She’d conceded too quickly. He cocked an eyebrow as he stared at her. “What else is there Swan?”

She gave him a sheepish smile. “Well… he happened to mention that Tamara won’t be there this weekend. She’s in Vegas for a friend’s bachelorette party.”

He raised his chin and narrowed his gaze. “I see. So that’s why you are more willing to let Henry stay the night.”

Emma furrowed her brow. “Something is up with her. I’m way more comfortable with Henry being there when she isn’t.”

Her expression was so earnest. He paused and met her steady gaze. “Your instincts have taken you far, Swan. I will always defer to them.”

“Good response, Jones.” She smirked.

“So,” he asked, opting to change the subject. “What will you do with your free night tomorrow?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” She shifted and draped her arms lightly around his neck. “Perhaps I’ll call my boyfriend up and see if he’s interested in ravishing me.”

He pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist. “He is always interested in ravishing you, love.”  Their mouths met in a soft kiss, lips tangling together in an unhurried way. She moaned through slightly parted lips, and he took the opportunity to plunge his tongue between them as he tilted his head to deepen the kiss. She responded in kind, carding her fingers through his hair with one hand while the other toyed with the buttons of his shirt. His hands wandered down her back, sliding under the waistband of her jeans.

“Bedroom. Now,” she said, pulling him with her as she stood.

He looked at his computer screen as he stood, and saw the calendar reminder telling him he had a faculty conference call in two minutes. ‘Bloody, buggering fuck!” He cried. “I can’t. I have to dial in for this call.”

Emma simply smiled at him and said “Of course, I can hang out. How long is the call?”

“An hour. And, as you may expect, the faculty of the History department have a tendency to drone on, so there is little chance of it wrapping up early.”

“Oh. You can’t skip it?”

“I’m sorry, no. I’m actually leading part of it.”

She looked up at him through her eyelashes. He couldn’t be sure, but he thought he saw a mischievous gleam in her eyes. “Well, do you mind if I just relax on your couch and get a little reading done?”

He gave her a wide smile.“Not at all, Swan. I will do my best to be quick.”

She settled on the couch, and he returned to his desk, pulling out his headset and dialing into the call. After the first ten minutes, as he was listening to a colleague, she came over to him and started rubbing his shoulders. Though her touch was meant to relax him, he felt like a live wire, still completely keyed up from their earlier activities. He bit back a groan as her hands traveled down to slip under his shirt collar and toy with his nipples.

He muted his line and looked up at her. “What are you doing, love?”

She shushed him and pointed to the screen. “Pay attention to your call.”

He tried very hard to do as she instructed, but when she pulled his chair back and walked around to settle on her knees in front of him, he was utterly lost. The bulge in his pants, which had only just begun to abate, came back in full force as she trailed her fingers along his zipper.

He heard his name over the phone and hurried to reply. He was being called on to give his report on the department’s online course activity for the summer. He’d prepared extensively for this, and pulled up the report he’d sent out prior to the call. He began to speak to it, gaining some control over his senses. That is, until the siren between his legs popped the button on his jeans and slowly lowered the zipper. His hips seemed to lift of their own accord as she relieved him of his pants and boxer briefs. Somehow, he was able to continue on with his report, though he stumbled over his words several times.

Emma removed her shirt and gave him an tantalizing view of her cleavage as she sat there lazily stroking his hard length.

 _“Killian?”_ he heard Dr. Nemo say.  _“Are you alright?”_

“Yes, Dr. Nemo. Apologies. As I was saying…”

He continued on with his presentation. Thankfully Emma did not go further with her actions, though she also did not stop what she was doing. As soon as she heard him say “now I’ll hand it over to William,” she surged forward and licked a long stripe from the base of his cock to the tip. He just managed to mute the call again before he cried out at the sheer ecstasy of it all.

“You are trying to kill me, love.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, do you want me to stop?”

“I didn’t say that. Although, I will find a way to pay you back for this, believe me.”

She gave him a devilish grin. “Looking forward to it.” With that she buried him in the wet heat of her mouth and proceeded to give him one of the best blowjobs he’d ever had. By the time the call had ended, Killian knew he couldn’t hold back his love for this woman any longer. He resolved that he would tell her tomorrow night.


	15. Chapter 15

Emma took a deep breath as she parked on Neal’s street. She’d listened to Henry chat the entire drive about how excited he was to spend the night with his dad. Neal promised Henry he could have pizza  _and_  popcorn at the soccer game. She sighed and unbuckled before walking around the car to help Henry out. Henry skipped toward the house, with Emma forcing herself to keep up, despite feeling like she had lead in her boots. They walked up the stoop, and, before Henry could even reach for the bell, Neal swung it open and caught Henry in his arms.

“Hey buddy! I am so excited for our guys night!”

“Me too Dad!” Henry bounced in his father’s arms while Emma trudged up the remaining stairs.

Neal set Henry down and stepped aside to let Emma in. As she shut the door, he looked down at his son. “Wanna go see your room?”

“Yeah!” Henry said. “Can Mommy come?”

“Of course!” He turned to Emma and gave her a big grin. “Come on Ems.” He paused and looked toward the door. “You want me to get his bag?”

“I’ve got it.” She held up Henry’s Star Wars backpack. Neal bent down and picked up Henry again, carrying him up the stairs. Emma followed in their wake. She was irritated with Neal for finding a way to circumvent the careful process she’d set up. She’d wanted him to earn an overnight stay, but instead he found a way to use Henry against her. Seeing her son so happy now, however, made her more forgiving. She bit her tongue and decided to allow Neal this victory.

At the top of the stairs they turned left. Neal led them to a nondescript door and placed Henry down. “You ready buddy?”

“I’m so excited!” Henry said, his words short and loud, with an almost gravelly pitch.

Neal opened the door, and they stepped inside. Emma couldn’t stop her wistful sigh. The room was perfect. Much nicer than the one at her place. But, she mused, Neal had the advantage of a rich father to bankroll his home improvement needs.

The furniture was a chocolate brown wood. A full-sized bed with matching nightstand sat against the far wall, with a child sized desk and a matching dresser opposite. The bed had Star Wars sheets, and there was a large decal of the Millennium Falcon on the wall opposite the door. The lamp on the bedside table was shaped like BB-8.

Henry was floored. “This is so awesome!” he yelled as he jumped up and down. “I can’t wait to sleep here. Thank you Daddy!” He threw his arms around his father’s legs. Without letting go, he looked up at Emma. “Isn’t it awesome Mommy? I wish my other room could be just like it.”

Emma suddenly felt her anger flare up, but she bit her tongue and smiled at Henry. “It’s a great room, kid. I’m excited for you.” She moved to set down his backpack next to the dresser.

“Let’s go see the bathroom,” Neal said, putting his arm around Henry’s shoulders. “I got Star Wars stuff in there too.” He turned to walk toward what appeared to be an en suite.

“Speaking of,” Emma said, “I need to use the restroom. I don’t want to interrupt the tour, so I’ll just go downstairs.”

“No, it’s okay,” Neal said, waving her off.  “Just use the one in mine and Tamara’s room. Down the hall, last door on the right.”

“Thanks.” She’d hoped he would offer that. She walked down the hall and entered Neal’s room. She had no need to use the bathroom, but she was determined to find some dirt on Tamara and figured their bedroom was a good place to start.

The upstairs of the house was more modern than the first floor, and the master bedroom was enormous. Emma felt jealousy mix with her anger. She’d worked hard for what she had, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to afford her apartment were it not for the generous discount Rob gave her on the rent. It stung that, had she agreed to take Neal back, she could have lived in this opulent home rent free. Briefly, she thought of all the things she could do with her income if she didn’t have to pay rent.

After a moment, Emma shook herself from her stupor, remembering that there was no way she would ever be with Neal again, even if it meant having all the money in the world. She set herself to her task, and headed toward the closet.

Tamara had three times as many clothes as Neal. Emma dug through them, finding that most still had the price tags on them. That was strange, but not incriminating, so she kept digging. There were as many pairs of shoes as outfits, and most looked completely unworn. They all had sky-high heels that were completely impractical for someone who supposedly walked all day in and out of doctor’s offices.

Thinking of Tamara’s job, Emma began looking around for a rolling briefcase. She’d met a couple pharmaceutical sales reps once, and they each had a rolling case chock full of samples. It would make sense that Tamara should have one too. It was not in the closet, so she looked around the rest of the room. Not there either. She poked her head out of the room, hearing Henry and Neal downstairs, and decided to continue her snooping.

Other than the master and Henry’s room, there were two other rooms upstairs, a guest room and an office. Emma reasoned that Tamara might keep her rolling case in the office, and headed there first. She poked around, but found nothing other than an ancient laptop and a stack of blank legal pads. She started opening drawers in the desk, hoping to find something.

“Emma?”

She snapped her head up to meet Neal’s inquisitive gaze as he stood in the doorway. She’d been so wrapped up in her task that she hadn’t heard him come back upstairs.

“Hey. I was just checking things out,” she said as she fiddled with a drawer pull. “This is really nice furniture.”

“Bullshit.” He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the door frame. “I know you. You were snooping.”

 _Busted_ , she thought to herself. She huffed an indignant sigh. “Yes, okay. I was. Is it so wrong that I want to know more about the place where my son is spending the night for the first time?”

He narrowed his gaze. “No… there’s more you’re not saying. Out with it.”

Damn him. He knew her too well. She took a deep breath. “Where’s Tamara’s rolling briefcase?”

He tilted his head and furrowed his brow. “What?”

Emma shook her head. “She’s in pharmaceutical sales, right? Where’s her rolling case with all the samples?”

Neal stepped away from the door frame and walked to the desk. “She doesn’t have one.”

“There’s no way she doesn’t have one,” Emma said, leaning over and placing her hands on the desk. “Everyone who works in that job has one.”

He leaned over to meet her half way and slammed his palm against the dusty surface. “And why are you looking for it?” he asked, raising his voice several octaves. “Trying to score some free percocet?”

Her eyes went wide and she stepped back. “Of course not!” She held up her hands in frustration. “I think she’s lying to you. Do you really know she works in that field? Have you met any of her coworkers?”

“No, but we haven’t been dating that long. That’s not uncommon.” He pushed off the desk and stepped back, running his hands through his hair. He turned back and pointed a finger at her. “And what makes you say she’s lying? How would you know?”

“She lied when she said she wanted to be a nurse.”

“You don’t know that!”

“I do,” she replied, lifting her chin and squaring her shoulders. “Remember? I have that thing where I can tell when someone’s lying?”

He turned his head and gave her dismissive smirk. “You thought you had a thing. I never bought it.”

“Yeah, you did.” Emma scoffed and rolled her eyes.

“Fine. Other than this hunch you have that she was lying, what makes you think she’s up to something?”

“She has a list in her purse with my address and the addresses for both Henry’s daycare and Regina’s house. She’s keeping tabs on me.”

His hands balled into fists as his body tensed. “I helped her make that list, Emma! She’s never been around kids before, but she is trying, for me. She wanted to know where Henry might be in case there was an emergency.”

Henry walked in the room at that moment, his face filled with worry. “Mommy? Daddy? Are you fighting?”

Emma smiled at her son. “We’re okay, kid. Your dad and I were just clearing something up.”

“Yeah,” Neal said. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked at the time. “Oh man… we need to get going so we’re not late for the soccer game. Why don’t you give your mom a hug goodbye, buddy?”

Henry ran over to Emma and she picked him up, giving him a firm hug. “I love you kid.”

“I love you too, Mommy. Don’t worry about me. I’m gonna have so much fun.”

She smiled, even as her eyes were tearing up. Setting Henry down, she looked to Neal. “I’m gonna pick him up at 11 tomorrow morning, right?”

“Yeah. We’ll be here.”

“Okay. See you then.” She turned and walked out of the room.

“Hey, Emma,” Neal called when she was halfway down the stairs. She turned and looked up at him. “I don’t want us to part on bad terms. I can appreciate this is hard for you, and I am really thankful that you are letting me have this time with him.”

She gave him a tight smile. “You’re welcome.”

* * *

Killian straightened his shirt and knocked on the door. His breath caught in his throat as Emma opened it and stood before him. She was wearing a light pink dress, with a fitted bodice and flowing skirt. Her hair was pulled up and away from her face, highlighting her elegant neck, and she wore tall heels that accentuated her shapely legs. Her makeup was soft and understated. She looked like an angel before him.

She blushed and gave him a coy smile. “I hope this is alright. You didn’t give me many specifics for what we would be doing on our date.”

“It’s perfect,” he breathed, stepping closer, and wrapping an arm around her waist. He felt drawn to her, and pulled her in close, inhaling her intoxicating scent. His lips seemed to have a mind of their own as they began to trail light kisses along the creamy skin of her throat. She tilted her head and released a breathy moan as she reached up and grabbed the back of his neck, pulling him closer.

“Are we… still… going out?” She asked between moans.

He was so tempted to say to hell with the date and instead stay home and worship this goddess like she deserved. But he had a plan, and he wanted to stick to it. He pulled away and rested his forehead against hers.

“Apologies, love,” he panted, trying to catch his breath. “You are so tempting. I have a hard time resisting your charms.”

She blushed deeply, which only succeeded in making her look more enticing. He exhaled slowly to gather his wits. “I do have plans for us tonight that I would like to keep. Shall we?” He extended his arm. She smiled knowingly at him and proceeded to lock her door and follow him down the hall.

He’d arranged for a dinner cruise around the harbor. His plans for sailing that summer had been dashed, but he refused to let the season end without being on the water at least once.

When they pulled up to the parking lot and she saw the signs for their destination, she giggled. The sound enchanted him, and it took him a moment to realize she was actually teasing him.

“Here? Really?” She asked with wide eyes and amused grin.

He took her hand in his and gave her an earnest look. “It’s a bit of a tourist trap, I’ll grant you, but humor me. I did promise to take you sailing this summer.”

“Well,” she smiled, “As much as you do for me, it’s the least I can do to grant this request.”

He stepped out of the car and walked around to open her door. After presenting their tickets, they walked the long ramp to board the ship. They grabbed some drinks and walked around the deck, admiring the view as the ship completed boarding. Not long after they’d departed, they were informed that the dinner service was beginning.

The meal was excellent, and they shared the table with a young couple who only had eyes for one another. That suited Killian fine, as it prevented he and Emma from having to make awkward conversation. Once they’d finished eating and the plates were cleared, music began playing and an announcement encouraged couples to make their way to a dance floor set in the middle of the dining room. Killian extended his arm to Emma, pulling her to standing and leading her out to floor. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she placed her hands on his shoulders. They swayed slowly to the music, reveling in their connection. After the song ended, he suggested they go outside and partake of the view.

The weather was mild, but the wind whipped around them and made Emma shiver. Killian slipped off his jacket and settled it on her shoulders. He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back firmly into his chest. His chin settled on her shoulder and they stood in silence, watching the water.

Emma leaned her head back and breathed in deeply. “This is nice.”

“Indeed.” He stared out at the moonlit water, but couldn’t truly enjoy the view. He noticed his hands were shaking and grabbed the rail to steady them.

Ever perceptive, Emma immediately picked up on this movement. “What’s wrong? You seem nervous.”

He chuckled, but he knew it was an empty sound. Reflexively, his right hands shot up to scratch behind his ear. “Why do you say that?”

“Besides the fact that you’re white-knuckling the rail? I can feel your heart beating a mile a minute against my back, and you’re doing that ear scratching thing you only do when you’re anxious.”

His head fell, forehead touching her shoulder. “Can’t hide anything from you, can I?”

She chuckled lightly. “You’ve got an easy tell. I bet you’re terrible at poker.” Turning in his arms, she took his face in her hands. “Whatever it is, Killian, it’s okay. You can talk to me.”

He took a deep, steadying breath and looked into her emerald eyes. “I wanted this night to be special, Emma.”

“It is,” she said, stroking the scruff on his cheek. “But you didn’t have to do all this. I would have been happy just staying home with you.”

“I wanted to mark the occasion.” He puffed up his chest and stood tall. “There is something I need to tell you.”

Her eyes went wide. She took a minuscule step back and dropped her hands to his shoulders, looking up to meet his gaze. She knew. He could tell she knew. She didn’t look panicked, and he considered that encouragement.

He took her hand in his and placed their joined hands over his heart. “Emma Swan, ever since I met you, I have been enamored of you. You pull me like a magnet. You are a brilliant, brave, kind, caring, amazing woman. I love you, Emma. I know this is scary for you, and I don’t expect you to say it back to me. I just couldn’t go another day without telling you how much you mean to me.”

Her eyes turned watery, but she didn’t look away. She was silent for a long time, her gaze searching his. Then, slowly, she leaned in and touched her forehead to his. He stayed there, letting her lead, afraid to do anything to disturb the peace. After a moment, she tilted her head up and met his lips with her own. The kiss was different and somehow still familiar. Slow and tender, passionate, but focused on more than their physical attraction. He couldn’t help but feel they were connecting on a deeper level. His hand lifted to her face and felt a tear running down the apple of her cheek

They broke apart and he wiped at the tear with his thumb. Nothing more was said, and she just leaned into his embrace. He pulled her into his chest, each taking comfort in the other. After a while, Emma pulled back to kiss him once more, her lips melding with his as she pressed her body into his chest. Neither of them spoke after his confession, but the silence did not feel uncomfortable.

Instead, they communicated through their bodies. Killian kept his hand on Emma’s lower back, rubbing smooth circles there. Emma kept hers on Killian’s chest, feeling his heartbeat and toying with his chest hair. A few times, it seemed she might say something, when she would pull back and part her lips, looking into his eyes. But every time, she would rise up on the balls of her feet and capture his mouth in another tender kiss. When the boat docked, there were still no words spoken between them, but they walked hand in hand to his car, Killian placing a light kiss to her knuckles as he helped her into her seat.

He was not sure what to make of her silence, but she was not pushing him away, so he vowed he would keep his word and give her the time she needed.

* * *

All during the drive across town to pick up Henry, Emma mused about Killian’s confession. He’d told her he loved her, and she hadn’t responded. She’d choked on the words. For the remainder of the cruise, as she was wrapped in his warm embrace, she’d tried to muster up the courage to tell him she felt the same, but she just couldn’t do it.

Once they’d returned home, she’d spent the remainder of the night showing him how much she loved him. And she did love him. Alone, in the quiet of her mind, she could admit that. She loved Killian Jones. That thought terrified her. She’d loved Neal, and he’d abandoned her. She knew Killian would never do the same, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t still lose him.

She saw a future with Killian, and she wanted it so badly she could taste it. She knew he would be a wonderful step-father to Henry. And thoughts of a life with Killian inevitably led her to thoughts of a second child, with dark hair and blue eyes. She saw their little family moving to a house together, maybe down the street from Mary Margaret and David. She saw them making their life there. Perhaps getting a dog.

The strength with which she wanted that dream made her all the more afraid of losing it. As a child she’d mourned the loss of more potential families than she cared to remember. She hardened her heart and stopped allowing herself to fantasize about what could be. She’d refused to think about the future until she met Neal, and then all her hopes resurfaced. When it all came apart, she’d berated herself for dreaming. She realized now that she didn’t even think too far in the future when it came to Henry, so afraid was she of something going wrong.

As she turned the corner to Neal’s street, she was torn from her thoughts when a police officer stepped in front of her car and stopped her.

“Sorry ma’am. This street is closed,” he said, walking to her car as she rolled down the window.

She leaned out and met the officer’s eyes. “I’m just here to pick up my son from his father’s house. If I park the next street over, can I walk to the house to pick him up?”

He looked at her skeptically. “Your son? What’s the house number?”

“453… What’s going on?” She narrowed her gaze.

His eyebrows lifted to his hairline at her reply. “You said 453?” She nodded. “Wait here one moment.”

He stepped away and spoke into the radio at his shoulder. He was far enough away that Emma couldn’t hear what was said. She looked further down the road and saw several flashing lights. In addition to multiple police cruisers, she also noticed an ambulance.

She looked back toward the officer and saw that he wasn’t alone anymore. As he walked closer, Emma recognized his companion. She threw her car in park and shut off the engine.

“Graham?” she asked as she stepped out of the driver’s seat.

“Emma,” he said, stepping closer to her even as the officer remained where he was. “Officer Jensen here says your boy was staying in house number 453. Are you sure that’s the correct house?”

She pursed her lips and scrunched up her nose. “Yes. I’m sure. What’s going on? What happened here?”

Graham took a deep breath. “There was a shooting at that house. The occupant is in critical condition. He’s being taken to the hospital.”

“Neal’s been shot?” Her eyes went wide with shock. “Oh god! Henry must be so afraid! Where is he?”

“Emma…” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Henry wasn’t at the house when we arrived.”

She began to tremble. “Did he run away? Maybe he’s hiding somewhere? Do you have people looking for him?” She stood on her toes and looked over Graham’s shoulder, sure she would see Henry any moment.

She almost didn’t register Graham’s reply. “Yes, we have people looking for him, but we don’t think he ran away. He wasn’t alone.”

Emma gave him a doubtful look. “What do you mean?”

“The neighbors said there was a woman living at the house. Did you know her?”

His tone was frustratingly calm. “Tamara? Yes. She’s Neal’s girlfriend. But she’s out of town this weekend.” She looked up at him with wide, pleading eyes. “Please, Graham, can I answer these questions later? I need to find my son!” She walked a few paces away, trying to see around the people and vehicles blocking the street.

He stayed where he was, and she turned to meet his gaze once more. His brow was furrowed and his mouth was drawn up in a frown. “This, Tamara… a neighbor saw her go in the house this morning.” He paused and looked at her, worrying his lip, before he sighed and continued. “Another witness saw someone matching her description leave some time later, carrying a large suitcase.”

Emma looked at Graham with wide eyes. “Leaving this morning? That doesn’t sound right. She would have just been getting back. Do they know where she went? If we find her maybe she can help us find Henry!”

He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her closer. “Emma, listen to what I am saying to you. Henry didn’t run away. He’s been taken.”

She looked off, taking a moment longer to process his words. Finally, she met his gaze. “Taken?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Graham breathed a small sigh, seemingly relieved that she’d finally understood him. “Yes.”

“No.” She stepped back. “No. No. No. He can’t be. He’s got to be around here somewhere.” She walked further down the street. “Henry! Henry! HENRY!” she yelled as she turned her head frantically from side to side. She tried to run down the street, but she tripped and fell to her knees. She crumpled forward, breaking into a heap of sobs. Graham knelt next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

“Emma…” he said, clearly unsure as to what to do.

She looked up at him, her eyes red and her cheeks streaked with tears. She opened her mouth, but promptly closed it, not sure what to say. Finally, she shrugged off his arm and stood. She sniffled and wiped her cheek with the flat of her palm. Graham stood aside, approaching her tentatively.

“Graham,” she finally spoke. “I am going to find my son. And I’m going to start by combing this block. I’d appreciate it if you called off the other officers.”

“Emma, wait… this is an open crime scene. You can’t go wandering around.”

She wheeled about to face him. “Fuck you and your crime scene! My son is missing!” She turned and started walking down the street. “Don’t worry, Henry,” she muttered under her breath. “I will find you. I will always find you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry for not putting a trigger warning on that last section, but I didn’t want to give the story away!


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning, the chapter below is angst fest. It will discuss child abduction, along with brief mentions of infidelity and gun violence. I am sorry for the sad installment, but stick with me here. Good things are in store for our lovers.

Emma left to get Henry a while ago, and Killian was starting to worry. He had no faith in that death trap she called a car. So when he heard his phone ring from the other room, he ran to answer it, sure it would be her asking him to come pick them up.

He picked up the device and looked at the screen, seeing that the caller was not Emma, but rather Graham Humbert. Killian had forgotten he’d exchanged numbers with the detective earlier that year. They’d never followed through with the proposed drink, their fast friendship cooling immediately once they’d realized they were vying for the affections of the same woman. He was unsure as to Graham’s reason for making contact now, but he swallowed his trepidation and answered the call.

“Hello?”

_“Killian, it’s Graham.”_

“Yeah, Graham, I know. I still have your number in my phone.”

 _“Right.”_  Graham paused and sighed.  _“Listen, I know it’s weird, my calling you, but David told me you were dating Emma and-”_

“Yeah, about that…”

_“I’m gonna stop you there. I didn’t call to chastise you. I called because Emma needs you.”_

“She does?” Panic rose in his voice. “Where is she?”

_“At Boston Medical.”_

“What happened to her?” His heart sped up as he pictured Emma and Henry injured from a car accident. He moved quickly toward the door as he continued to speak with Graham.

_“Emma’s not hurt, at least not physically, but Henry’s father, Neal, has been shot. Emma rode with him to the hospital.”_

“What do you mean by ‘not physically?’ Did something happen between them? Is Henry alright?”

Graham gave a pained groan.  _“Henry is missing, and Emma is really distraught. She was running around the crime scene, looking for her boy. She only stopped when I convinced her that Neal may be able to tell us something about where Henry is after he gets out of surgery.”_

The news that Henry was missing froze Killian in his tracks. “The lad is missing? Do you know what happened to him?”

_“No. We think he was taken. I have a hunch that Neal was shot trying to protect him.”_

“How bad is Neal?”

_“He’s in critical condition. He was unconscious when we got here. Looks like he lost a lot of blood. A neighbor called Neal’s father and he’s on his way to the hospital. From what Mary Margaret told me, Mr. Gold is a piece of work. I don’t imagine Emma will get much comfort from him.”_

“I’m heading that way now.”  

_“Good. If David were working today, I’d have sent him with her. But he and his wife are out of town, so Emma is on her own. She needs someone to support her.”_

Killian couldn’t help the sting he felt at knowing that calling him was a last resort for Graham. But he chose to bite his tongue and instead focused on the source of Emma’s distress. “Please… find Henry,” he said, his voice cracking with emotion. “The lad is very special to a lot of people.”

_“I’ll do everything I can. Now, please, go to her. She shouldn’t be alone.”_

“Thank you for calling me. You’re a good man.”

_“You can thank me by buying me that drink another time. I need to get back inside. Take care of her.”_

“I will, mate.”

Killian hung up the call, put on shoes, and grabbed his wallet and keys. As he was heading to the elevator, he thought of Milah. He didn’t expect Robert Gold to have the decency to call his ex-wife in this situation, so she likely didn’t know. As soon as he reached the lobby, he dialed Milah’s number.

The phone rang long enough that he’d almost given up hope that she’d answer, but, finally, she picked up.  _“Killian?”_ She asked, her tone laced with uncertainty.  _“Why are you calling me?”_

“I don’t think you’ve been told yet, love, but Neal has been shot. Emma’s at the hospital now, and I’m on my way to meet her.”

 _“What?”_ She cried out.  _“He’s been shot? By who?”_

“I don’t know. A detective friend of Emma’s called to tell me. Neal is unconscious and in critical condition.”

Milah gave a choked sob. _“My boy…”_

“I’m heading there now. Do you want me to come pick you up on my way?”

 _“No,”_  she sniffled.  _“I can drive myself. Which hospital is he at?”_

Killian gave her the details and then hung up. He’d just started the engine when they ended their call, and he proceeded to back out of his parking spot and head toward the hospital.

* * *

Emma felt numb. Neal was her only hope to find out where Henry was. He had been taken into surgery immediately when they arrived at the hospital, and now she was stuck waiting for news.

“I swear to god Neal… “ she muttered under her breath. “If you die, I will bring you back to life just so I can kill you again.”

She stood and began pacing the small space. She felt like a spring, wound tight and ready to snap. The doctors wouldn’t tell her anything directly. She was not a relative, even if she and Neal shared a son. With no control over Neal’s situation, her mind moved to imagining horrible scenarios for what happened to Henry. Every few moments she would stop pacing and let out a sob. She paid no mind to the wary looks directed her way from others in the room.

She was powerless. She’d wanted to stay at the scene and look for Henry, but Graham had pleaded with her to stop, saying they had officers combing the area. He’d suggested she go with Neal to see if he could share anything more once he came out of surgery. She continued her frantic pacing, oblivious to everything around her until she heard someone call her name.

“Emma.” She looked up to see Killian striding across the waiting room toward her. He closed the gap in only a few steps and pulled her fiercely into his arms. Wrapped in his warm embrace, she finally broke down. She let loose a screeching sob and buried her face in Killian’s chest.

“He’s gone…” she sobbed. “Henry… he’s…”

“I know, Swan,” he said as he rubbed soothing circles on her back. “We’ll find him. You’ll get your boy back.”

She couldn’t form words, so she just settled into his arms and continued to cry until she felt utterly spent. She couldn’t say how long they remained like that, until they heard someone else enter the room and call her name. She looked up to see a doctor in blue scrubs, surgical cap still on his head.

“Miss Swan?” he asked.

“Right here,” Emma said, stepping forward.

“You arrived with Mr. Cassidy, right?”

“Yes. How is he?”

“He’s out of surgery. He lost a lot of blood, but he was very lucky. The bullet missed his vital organs. He’s going to survive.”

She released a sob of relief she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “Is he awake? Can I talk to him?”

“I’m sorry, he’s still under sedation. He needs to rest.”

“Do you think he’ll wake up soon?”

The doctor raised an eyebrow. “Miss Swan… as I said, he lost a lot of blood. His body has been through a lot of trauma. He needs his rest.”

Emma felt tears streaking down her cheeks once more. “Please,” she croaked, “I need to talk to him. My son-  _His_  son is missing. He may be the only person who knows where our son was taken.”

The doctor narrowed his eyes and stared at her for a long moment. He breathed a heavy sigh and shifted his gaze from side to side, before leaning in closer. “He’s being transferred to a bed now. I can let you in the room, but I can’t guarantee that he will wake up any time soon, Miss Swan. He will be in quite a lot of pain when he regains consciousness.”

“Thank you. Thank you.” Emma took the doctor’s hands in her own and shook with surprising force, considering how exhausted she felt.

He pulled his arm back and rolled the shoulder a few times. “Of course, Miss Swan. I’ll send someone to come escort you to his room once he’s settled.” He turned and left the waiting room.

Emma pivoted and looked back to Killian. He stood with his arm behind his head, scratching the back of his neck. He took a step in her direction.

“Do you want me to come with you?” he asked.

“No… I want to do this on my own,” she replied, hanging her head. “He probably won’t be awake anyway.”

“I understand, love.” He stepped to her side and wrapped her in his arms again. She rested her head on his shoulder.

“How did you know I was here?” she asked, her voice muffled by his chest.

“Graham called me.”

“How did he get your number? I don’t even think David has it.”

“Graham and I exchanged numbers earlier this year, when he helped me move in.”

She pushed back and looked in his face. “Wait… the night he and I had our date?”

“Aye, the very same.”

“I don’t remember much at all from that date.” She groaned at the thought. “Don’t tell Graham that.”

“I won’t, darling. I promise.”

Suddenly, one memory from that night came to her, crystal clear.

_Henry turned around and leaned over the back of the couch. He gave Graham a critical look, looking much older than his four years. After a moment of intense silence, he finally spoke. “Do you like boats?”_

_“Um… I’ve never given it much thought,” Graham replied. “I have nothing against them. Just haven’t spent much time on them.”_

_“So…” Henry asked. “Do you like them?”_

The thought of her precocious boy grilling her date brought forth a new flood of tears. Killian seemed to sense her fresh pain, but said nothing and continued to let her cry.

Finally, after breathing an exhausted sigh, Emma spoke again. “What do you think happened to Henry?” she asked in a low whisper.

“I don’t know. What did Graham tell you?”

“Just that he wasn’t at the house, and the neighbors saw Tamara go in and then leave a little while later with… oh my god,” she broke off.

“What?”

“She left carrying a big suitcase.” Emma’s eyes went wide and her mouth hung open. Her gaze trailed off, seemingly fixed on a point in the distance.

“Swan?” Killian grabbed her shoulders and forced her to look at him. “What are you thinking?”

Emma stared at him, her face fixed in terror. “She had a big suitcase. Henry must have been in there!” She pushed away and sucked in a shaky breath. “Oh god! Oh god!” She resumed her pacing, her sobs louder and her hands clutched to her chest.

Killian knew her thoughts. “Emma, don’t let your mind go there. Henry is going to be okay. We will find him. He will be back in your arms soon.”

She wheeled on him. “Don’t say that!” she yelled. “You don’t know that! You CAN’T know that!”

Killian’s eyes spilled over with tears. “I have to believe it, love. We can’t give up hope.”

“I am NOT giving up hope! But I also don’t want to hear empty promises! My son is missing and I am stuck here waiting for his deadbeat dad to wake up and MAYBE tell me something we don’t already know!”

“Please, Emma– ”

“Emma Swan?” A nurse entered the room, cutting Killian off.

Emma spun around to face her. “That’s me.”

“Follow me,” the nurse said, giving her a wary look.

Emma left the room without looking back at Killian.

* * *

Killian sat in the waiting room, his mind racing with all number of possibilities for where Henry was. His last conversation with Emma stoked his own worst fears. He could not… would not allow his mind to think of the worst case scenario. The boy had to be alright.  He stared at his phone for a long while, wondering if it was too soon to call Graham and ask for an update.

Technically, he had no right to information about the lad. He’d only been dating Emma a few short months. But he knew in that moment that he would do anything in his power to help her get her son back. He had come to see Henry as his own family, irrespective of his relationship with Emma. Feeling helpless, he searched the internet for resources for a long while, before he heard footsteps coming near.

He looked up, hoping to see Emma returning, but was instead met with Milah’s cool gray-blue gaze.

“Have you heard anything?” she asked, taking the chair next to him.

“A doctor came by a while ago and said Neal is out of surgery and should survive.”

Milah let loose a relieved sigh. Her lips remained parted and her eyebrows knit together as she looked at Killian. “How did this happen? Who shot him?”

“I don’t know, love. I’m sorry. I was only with Emma a short while before the nurse came and took her up to check on him. The doctor said he wouldn’t be awake, but considering how long she’s been away, perhaps he is.”

“What room is he in?”

“I’m sorry,” he repeated. “I don’t know. Did you ask at the desk? Or maybe I can call Emma?”

“No, don’t worry,” she replied as she shook her head. She gave him a weak smile. “I’ll just wait here until she returns.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I’m just relieved he is okay.” She exhaled slowly and leaned her head back against the wall. “Where is Henry? Does he know about this? Poor lad.”

Killian looked at her with wide eyes, his lower lip trembling. “He…” he couldn’t stop the tears that leaked out from the corner of his eyes. “Henry is missing.”

“What?!” she cried, jumping up from her chair. “Where could he be?”

“I don’t know,” Killian sighed, cradling his forehead in his hands. “The police think Neal was shot trying to stop whoever took Henry.””

“Where was Tamara in all this? Maybe she has Henry with her and this was all just a misunderstanding?”

He winced, thinking of his last conversation with Emma and her realization about Neal’s partner. Knowing the relationship Milah had with Tamara, Killian was reluctant to reveal this secondhand information. “Well, Neal said Tamara was out of town this weekend, but–”

“No she’s not,” Milah interrupted, her brows furrowed. “I saw her yesterday. I asked her if she was excited for the sleepover and she told me she and Neal had plans to take Henry out for a big breakfast this morning.”

“According to Neal, she flew out Friday afternoon, but Emma was told that witnesses put Tamara at the scene this morning.”

Milah shook her head. “Why would she… she was lying to us both. Why would she lie? Unless…”

“What, love?” He asked, standing to face her. “If you remember something… anything… it may help find Henry.”

Milah stared at him for a moment, mouth agape. “When I saw her yesterday, she was at a coffee shop, looking cozy with another man. I went up to her to see if I needed to be concerned, but she assured me they were just coworkers.” She paused and took a shaky breath. “I brushed it off then, but maybe she’s cheating on Neal.”

Killian looked up and pinched the bridge of his nose, bracing himself for her next reaction. “The police told Emma that Tamara was seen leaving the house this morning with a large suitcase.”

“Well,” Milah replied, “that just means she was getting some stuff out of the house. It doesn’t make her a child abductor.”

Although he’d spent more time with Milah than anyone in his life save for Liam, Killian believed Emma’s intuition over hers. He swallowed thickly, his adam’s apple bobbing up and down. “You have a point. But… even if she is being unfaithful, she may still be able to help find Henry. Can you call her?”

“Of course,” Milah replied. She pulled out her phone and stepped to the opposite corner of the room. She stood for a moment before huffing in annoyance and turning around. “It’s saying her number is out of service.”

“That is certainly odd…”

Milah started sobbing. “I’ve really messed things up.”

“How is this your fault, love?”

“I introduced them! I was so excited when Tamara showed interest in Neal. I thought if I was friends with his girlfriend, I might be able to reconnect with my son.” She started shaking and pacing the small space, just as Emma had done a short while before. “And now the woman I introduced him to is having some illicit affair while he was shot and his son was taken!”

Despite her obvious distress, Killian pushed her. “Is there a chance Tamara could have taken Henry? How much do you know about her?”

Her face went white as a sheet as she processed his words. “Oh god…I introduced my grandson’s kidnapper into his life!”

She was having a panic attack. He recognized the signs immediately, though, to his knowledge, it had been years since she’d had one. He rushed to her side and started rubbing her back, trying to undo the damage he’d just caused. “We don’t know that for sure. I just wanted to explore all options.”

She pressed palms to her cheeks, her body once more wracked with sobs. Her shoulders hunched over and she started rocking her torso back and forth. She was muttering to herself, words of disdain about how she was to blame for this situation. Tears slid down her face from underneath her hands. He tried to console her, but she would not be moved. Finally, at a loss for what else he could do, Killian wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his embrace.

“Don’t do this to yourself, love.” He whispered soothingly, as he softly stroked her hair. “You had no way of knowing.” She calmed in his arms, her breath evening out. Her head pillowed on his chest, and he continued to whisper into her hair as he felt her heart rate slow.

* * *

Emma followed the nurse with tentative steps. Entering the room, she barely recognized the man lying on the bed. His skin was pale, with dark circles under his closed eyes. His forehead, which was always so expressive, was now unnervingly smooth. And his hair, which he tended to wear artfully mussed, lay flat. The room was quiet, the only sound coming from the steady rhythm of the machines he was hooked up to. Altogether, the eerie scene increased Emma’s anxiety tenfold.

The nurse checked a few things and then swiftly exited the room, leaving her alone with Neal. She took a seat in the hard chair next to the bed and looked at him.

“What happened? Why did you get shot? Where’s Henry?” She asked each question in rapid succession, her eyes fixed on his face, convinced she could intimidate him into waking up. “Come on, Neal.” She grabbed his limp hand and shook it slightly. “Wake up. I need you to tell me where our son is!” Her anger rose with each beep of the ventilator.

Not knowing what else to do, she dropped her head to her hands and wept. She cried for a while before the slow shuffle of feet in time with the dull thump of a cane pulled her from her grief. She looked up to see Robert Gold enter the room.

“Miss Swan,” he hissed as he met her gaze. “You have some nerve being here.”

“Excuse me?” she stood up, happy to let her ire push aside her despair.

He walked a few more steps in her direction, stopping at the end of the bed. “You,” he growled, “are the reason this whole mess has occurred.”

She raised her voice to a harsh whisper. “I don’t know what the hell you’re getting at, but you may as well come on out and say it.”

“My son wouldn’t have pursued that woman, and thus would not have been shot, had you not been determined to punish him.”

“What?” She stumbled back. “How can you say that?”

“Come on, Miss Swan! You and I both know he was only dating that whore in order to make you jealous! If you’d been less stubborn and given him another chance, none of this would have happened.” He stepped around the bed and leaned in. “Now that I’ve arrived and Neal has someone here who actually cares for him, you can slither off to whatever refuse heap you came from.”

His words made her freeze. Blood roared in her ears and she stood rooted in place for what seemed like hours. Logically, she knew she should be mad at him for hurling such a debase accusation at her, but her own self-loathing came crawling to the surface. Of course, she reasoned with herself, he was right. She always ruined everything. She’d been too hard on Neal, and now they were in this situation. And if Neal had never met Tamara, Henry wouldn’t be missing. This  _was_  all her fault. She was the direct opposite of King Midas. Everything she touched turned to shit.

She finally broke from her trance and stepped around him as she ran from the room. The emotional turmoil of the day took its toll, and she stumbled onto the elevator.

* * *

Emma was hurt. Everything hurt. Henry was missing. Neal was the only person who might know where he was, and he looked to be on death’s door. And then Robert fucking Gold had come in spewing his vitriol. She needed solace. All she could think about was returning to Killian’s loving arms. He would make her feel better. They could figure this out together.

The elevator took forever coming, and then seemed to stop at every floor on the way down. When she finally made it to the floor where Killian was waiting, she ran, bobbing and weaving through the hordes of people. She needed to see her boyfriend.

She ran to the door of the waiting area and stepped inside, looking around for Killian. And then she saw him. With Milah. Comforting Milah the way Emma wanted him to comfort her. She stood, slack jawed, in the doorway.

Killian looked up, his eyebrows raised and his mouth drawn in a frown. He looked guilty.

“Emma…” he said, releasing Milah and taking a step in her direction.

She stepped back, bumping into someone else. She tried to get away, but Killian was quicker and he caught her by the arm. “Emma, wait.”

“No!” she yelled, surprised at her volume. “Let me go.”

“Emma, wait, please. Don’t run off like this. Let me explain.”

She wheeled on him. “Explain what, exactly? How you told me just last night that you loved me and wanted to be there for me, and now I find you making out with your ex? In the waiting room that I left not a half an hour before?!”

They stood in the middle of main walkway, but the hospital patrons didn’t seem to mind. Instead, they were gathering an audience for their little drama. “Love, we weren’t making out. She was upset. I was comforting her.”

“You’ve got a funny way of comforting her!”

“Emma, I swear, nothing untoward happened! She was having a panic attack. I hugged her to help her calm down.” He stepped closer and lowered his voice. “I love you, Swan. I would never betray you.”

“Maybe, but I can’t love you back,” Emma replied, her lower lip trembling. Killian reached out his arm, but she jerked away. “Don’t touch me.”

“Emma, please…” he whimpered.

She gave a light chuckle. “This is just my luck. It’s not enough to have my son kidnapped. I need to also have my heart ripped out of my chest and crushed in front of me.” She hung her head and watched as two tears rolled off her face and plummeted to the linoleum beneath her shoes. She could have sworn she had no more tears left to cry. Her hands hung useless at her sides. She only saw Killian’s feet, but it was enough to see that he neither came closer nor moved away from her.

“Swan,” he whispered. “Please don’t do this right now. We need each other. You shouldn’t be alone. I love you. Let me be there for you.”

A part of her mind screamed at her to give in. To go to him and let him comfort her. But that piece was locked up behind the miles and miles of walls she’d erected over the years. Killian had started to tear them down, but today’s events showed her they were still in tact and stronger than ever. She sniffled and lifted her head, her watery eyes meeting his pleading gaze.

“Leave me alone, Killian. We’re better off this way. Go back to Milah.” She sucked in a deep breath, gathering her courage. “I’m going to find my son, and when I do, we are going to go far, far away from here. And I will never have to see you again.”

She turned and walked as fast as she could without running. She heard Killian calling her name, but she did not look back. Had she done so, she would have seen their audience blocking him from following her, each person believing she was a woman scorned.

Emma ran to the main entrance of the hospital and just happened to catch a cab that was recently vacated. She gave the driver her address and leaned back in the seat, breathing a deep sigh of exhaustion.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

 

_Thunk_

“Ow! Shit!’ Emma cried rubbing her forehead.

Monday morning at seven AM found her sitting at the desk she shared with Mu, emotionally and physically exhausted. After leaving the hospital the day before, she’d changed direction and had the cab take her to pick up her car. From there she drove home, but only stayed long enough to grab her laptop. Once she had her equipment, she left her car at her building and called an Uber to take her to Grumpy’s. She spent the rest of the day and the entire night hiding in her office, trying to track down Tamara.

The search so far had been unsuccessful. Emma didn’t know the other woman’s last name, and wasn’t even sure if Tamara was her real first name. After many frustrating hours of coming up empty, she’d rested her chin in her hands and closed her eyes, intending to give them a brief respite. She must have dozed off, because her hand slipped, causing her head to slam against the desk. She continued to rub her forehead and winced as she found the tender spot just above her eyebrow. She wouldn’t be surprised if there was a bruise there later.

She heard the door to the front office open and cringed. She was not ready to face other people. Hence the reason she’d been hiding out all night.

“Swan! I know you’re here!”

She looked up from the desk just in time to see Mu standing in the doorway, staring her down with a fierce gaze. Not waiting for an invitation, she stomped into the room, an apologetic Aurora following in her wake.

“Why didn’t you call me?!” Mu practically yelled.

“Mulan, please,” Aurora said in her melodic tone. She brushed her red hair from her face and walked over, wrapping her arms around Emma in an awkward hug. Emma was stunned by the action. She’d never been particularly close to Aurora, and wasn’t really in the mood for niceties now. She opted to keep her arms limp at her sides until the other woman got the message and pulled back. Aurora looked hurt, but chose not to say anything.

Mu cocked an eyebrow at her girlfriend. “I told you that’s not what she needs. I am sure she’s had her fill of compassion. What this girl needs is some tough love.”

“But you don’t have to be so brusque about it!”

“If it’s what the situation calls for, why shouldn’t I?” Mu pointed at Emma. “Look at her! She’s practically catatonic.”

Emma suddenly caught on. “Hey!” she yelled, her voice hoarse from crying. “Stop talking about me like I’m not here!”

“Oh good, you’re back,” Mu replied. “Now, I repeat my question. Why. Didn’t. You. Call. Me?”

Emma looked over at the darkened screen of her phone. She figured the battery died sometime overnight. She’d silenced it the minute she left the hospital, not wanting to deal with the mess she’d created with Killian. She knew she only had a day or so before Mary Margaret got word and descended on her with hope speeches. Emma wanted to start her search for Henry in peace.

“Earth to Swan!” Mu called out, waving her hands in Emma’s face.

She snapped her attention back to her friend. “I didn’t call because I’ve got this,” she huffed in annoyance. “There’s nothing you can do that I can’t. What good is it to ask you to drop your cases just to duplicate my efforts?”

“Oh Emma,” Mu replied, in a surprisingly soft tone. “You know it has nothing to do with that. I would have dropped everything to be there for you.”

Aurora placed a gentle hand on Emma’s shoulder. “When is the last time you ate or slept?”

Emma stared at her blankly. “Um… Saturday night?”

Aurora narrowed her gaze, suddenly displaying some of the same fierce determination Emma often saw in Mu. “We’re taking you home. You need a shower, and I’m gonna make you something to eat.” She made a move to protest, but Aurora held up her hand. “No arguments. Get up.”

Emma stood, but made no move to pack up her things. “I don’t want to go home,” she finally said in a near whisper. Aurora turned and looked at her with sympathy, but Emma mistook it for pity and her anger was renewed. “I need to find Henry, and I can’t do that if I’m showering or sleeping.”

Aurora glared at her. “You won’t do him any good if you are dead on your feet.”

“And why isn’t your boyfriend taking care of you?” Mu asked. “Where the hell is he?”

Emma cradled her forehead in her hand. “I told him to leave me alone yesterday.”

“Dumbass,” Mu said as she started packing up Emma’s things. “If he had any sense, he wouldn’t have left you alone.”

They led Emma to their car and practically forced her into the backseat. She was too tired to protest anymore. When they arrived at her building, Mu led the way. She’d found Emma’s keycard in her backpack, along with her door key. They opened the door to hear faint snoring, and looked over to see Killian sleeping on her couch.

His brow was furrowed and he had dark circles under her eyes. He look exhausted, as if he’d been waiting up all night and only just dozed off. Emma was frozen, not sure how to handle this situation. Mu had no compunction, however, and stepped forward to shove his shoulder.

He startled awake and looked around dazedly for a moment, before his eyes landed on Emma. “Swan,” he breathed, “thank God you’re okay.” He stood and moved to embrace her, but stopped halfway and withdrew his arms to his side. He cleared his throat and looked at her with bloodshot eyes. “I’ve been so worried.”

“You didn’t need to be,” she bit back in reply. “I can take care of myself.”

Her reply seemed to break the last of his patience. “Bloody hell, woman, I know you can,” he grumbled. “That doesn’t stop me from worrying about you. I spent half the night looking for you before coming back here. I didn’t know what else to do, so I just sat down to await your return.”

“I told you to leave me alone,” she said in a near whisper. She still felt the hurt and betrayal from the day before. She took in a shaky breath and met his gaze. “Why are you here?”

He leaned in, still maintaining a respectable distance, and fixed her with an earnest gaze. “Emma, I love you. And, beyond that, whatever happens between us, even if we never reconcile, I cannot let you be separated from your boy if there is anything in my power that I could do to help.”

The sincerity in his voice struck her, pushing past all her exhaustion and emotional walls. She suddenly felt a headache coming on. She closed her eyes and swooned, losing her footing and falling into his arms.

“We need to get you to bed, darling.” He pulled her to his chest, sweeping her feet off the floor.

“No,” she protested, weakly pushing on his chest. “Put me down.”

Reluctantly he set her back down, only then noticing Mu and Aurora staring at him. “Apologies,” he said, looking down at the floor. “I didn’t realize you already had company.”

Mu fixed him with a skeptical gaze. “We were just doing your job for you.” Aurora blushed but said nothing.

Emma looked between Killian and Mu, before settling her gaze once more on her boyfriend (or was he now her ex-boyfriend?). She exhaled slowly. “Killian, go home. You look as tired as I am. I appreciate what you’ve done, but I think we’ve got this.”

“No, don’t go anywhere,” Mu interrupted.

Emma grumbled in protest. “What are you doing?”

Mu stared accusingly at her friend for a moment before grabbing her hand and pulling her into the bedroom.

“What the hell are you doing?” Mu asked once they were safely inside.

“What do you mean? I’m sending him home. I don’t need him here.”

“Cut the poor guy a break, Emma! He said he loves you, and you and I both know he wasn’t lying. Why the hell are you pushing him away now?”

“Because I don’t need him,” she spat out, trying and failing to put conviction behind her words.

“Bullshit,” Mu deadpanned.

“What the hell, Mu? Why are you giving me a lecture on needing a man? You’re gonna have your lesbian card revoked.”

“Oh please, Emma. Give it a rest. You need support, and that man out there is begging to give it to you. Don’t push him away.”

Emma was at her limit. She couldn’t think of any other excuses to send Killian away. Instead she shrugged her shoulders and sighed, falling onto her bed. “Fine. He can stay. But you tell him that. I’m going to sleep.

“Oh no you don’t,” Mu said, hauling her off the bed. “You need to go get cleaned up, and then you will eat that sandwich my lovely girlfriend is making you. Then and only then can you sleep. You need your strength.”

Emma stood frozen in place, overwhelmed by even this simple task. After a moment, Mu charged past her toward the bathroom. She heard her friend turn on the water and stomp back into room. Without preamble, she walked to her friend and grabbed the hem of her shirt.

“Arms up,” Mu instructed. Emma complied.

Mu helped Emma strip down and then walked her to the bathroom and helped her into the shower. Emma released a deep sigh as she felt the hot water stream down her body.

“Are you gonna be okay to clean yourself, or do you need me to do that too?”

The water had awakened Emma’s senses. “I’ve got it. Thank you Mu.”

Emma emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later and dressed in sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt. She smelled the grilled cheese sandwich Aurora was making, and her stomach grumbled loudly. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was. She stepped out of the bedroom and made the short walk to the kitchen. Aurora motioned for her to sit at the dinette set, and placed the sandwich and a glass of water in front of her. She noticed that Killian was nowhere to be seen.

Rather than point this out, Emma tucked into her meal. Only after she’d inhaled the sandwich and drank all the water did she speak again.

“Where’d Killian go?”

“I sent him downstairs to get cleaned up. He insisted on coming back before we leave.”

“I don’t need a babysitter,” Emma groaned.

“I disagree,” Aurora said. “You shouldn’t be alone.”

Emma sighed with resignation. No point in trying to fight this now. “How did you even know to come find me?” She asked, looking at Mu.

“Mary Margaret called me,” Aurora answered as she refilled Emma’s water glass.

“I didn’t know you two had exchanged numbers.”

“Earlier this summer, at the karaoke thing.”

Emma was silent for a moment, processing everything that happened. She swallowed thickly and looked between her friends. “I don’t know where to start to find him. I’ve tried finding Tamara, but I don’t even know her last name.”

“Hey,” Mu said, placing a hand on her arm, “we’re gonna find him. We find people. It’s what we do.”

Emma opened her mouth to respond, but was unsure of what to say. She was rescued by a knock on the door.

“Swan,” she heard Killian call. “I’m coming in.” He turned his key in the lock and entered the room.

Emma felt her emotion well up in her chest at the sight of him, wet hair sticking up in odd places, his blue eyes swimming with nearly as much grief as she felt.

“I can’t deal with this right now,” she said, turning to walk to her room. Without further preamble, she fell on her bed and into a fitful sleep. 

* * *

Mu and her girlfriend, Aurora, stayed only a bit longer after Emma went to bed, once they were convinced he would be there with her when she woke up. Despite his relationship (or was it former relationship?) with Emma, he couldn’t help but feel intrusive at the way he was imposing himself on his love. But he knew the last thing she needed was to be alone. He resumed his vigil on the couch, eventually letting his head fall back as his exhaustion pulled him back into unconsciousness.

He woke a few hours later to find Emma laying on the couch asleep, with her head in his lap. It was such a change from her earlier behavior that he wasn’t sure how to respond. She still looked exhausted, but did appear to be sleeping soundly. Not wanting to disturb her rest, he gingerly placed his hand on her shoulder. He let his head fall back once more, and closed his eyes.

He wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that. The next thing he knew, there was a knocking at the door, and Emma  grumbled and turned her head, nuzzling against his stomach. He shook Emma’s shoulder gently. “Wake up love,” he said. “There’s someone here.

She opened her eyes and sat up abruptly, staring at him in confusion. He parted his lips to say something, but was cut off by another knock.

“Emma! It’s David. Are you here?”

She looked at the door and then back at Killian before setting her jaw and standing up.

She walked to the door and opened it to her friend and his wife. Mary Margaret stepped in and wrapped her arms around Emma, holding on tight while David stumbled in after her. He noticed Killian, but said nothing, only nodding politely.

Mary Margaret released Emma, and David stepped in to hug her just as fiercely, cradling the back of her head. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here yesterday,” he said as he pulled away.

“Me too,” Mary Margaret echoed.

“It’s okay,” Emma replied. “It’s not like you could have known.” They followed her into the living room, the two women sitting on the couch. David stood near Killian, patting the other man on the shoulder.

“I hope you don’t mind, Emma,” he said, turning to his friend, “but I invited someone here who may be able to help us find Henry.”

She returned his gaze with a blank stare. “Who?”

“Well, she’s-” he was cut off by another knock at the door. “Oh, there she is now.” He turned and walked to the door, opening it. A petite blonde with sparkling blue eyes stepped inside. Walking to the the couch, Killian recognized her as someone he hadn’t seen in a very long time.

“Tink,” he said to the woman as she stood before him.

She returned his stare with a gentle smile. “Killian, it’s good to see you.”

"Tina! So glad you could make it,” David said, walking up behind her.

Killian turned to look at Emma. Her mouth was set into a thin line and her nose was scrunched up. She looked at Tink with narrowed eyes.

"This is Tina Bell,” David said, gesturing toward the newcomer. “She’s a narcotics detective. She reached out to me when she heard we were looking for the person who shot Neal Cassidy.”

“Looks like you already know Killian,” Mary Margaret said, her tone showing just the smallest bit of suspicion.

“Oh, um… yes,” Killian replied. “Tink and I… we were cohorts during our undergraduate years.”

“Tink?” Emma asked incredulously.

Tink smiled. “My name is Tina Karen Bell. I went by Tink in my younger years.” She turned back to Killian. “I prefer Tina now.”

“Oh, yes, of course.” His hand twitched with the urge to scratch behind his ear, but he resisted. “Apologies.”

“No harm done.” She gave him a warm smile and turned back to the group. “I did some digging after hearing Neal was shot. He was my first big case after I joined the force, so his name is hard for me to forget.”

“So are you one of the people that sent me away?” Emma asked through clenched teeth.

Tina looked uncomfortable. “Oh. No. I wasn’t that high on the food chain at the time of your arrest.”

“But you know who I am?”

“Yes, Emma, I do. And I am sorry for how you were treated.” She took a deep breath and clasped her hands in front of her. “But I have some information now that may be able to help find your boy.”

“You’re narcotics, right? So what does that have to do with my son being taken?” Emma spat back. “You think drug pushers took him?”

“I do,” Tina replied. Her answer stunned the rest of the room into silence. Tina took another breath and continued. “I have been following Tamara Martin for some time. She’s never been arrested herself, but she is a known associate of Greg Mendel, who works closely with with the head of the Pan organization.”

“What’s the Pan organization?” Mary Margaret asked.

“Pan is a crime syndicate based out of Boston,” Tina said. “They deal in drug trafficking and illegal arms deals, mainly. They were the supplier Neal was working for.”

“Why would they want Henry?”

“We don’t know. Pan deals in several other areas, but human trafficking has never been one of them. As far as I can tell, they may be trying to punish Neal.”

“Punish him? Why?” Mary Margaret asked.

“He sold them out,” Emma replied. She looked up at Tina with haunted eyes.

“He did, yes,” Tina replied.

Killian felt his stomach sink at the thought of Henry being in the hands of drug dealers. “If they are punishing Neal, then wouldn’t they contact him?”

“I think so, yes. I find it unlikely that they would take Henry as punishment and not try and contact Neal for some other negotiation.”

Emma stood up and reached into her pocket, pulling out her phone. “I need to talk to him.” 

* * *

Emma parked her car at the hospital and waved to David in the vehicle behind her. He’d insisted on following her there, despite her protests. She was tired of everyone treating her with kid gloves, but she was grateful to David for connecting her with Tina and helping her get a lead on how to get her son back.

Thoughts of Tina brought her back to the short exchange between the detective and Killian. Not for lack of trying, but Emma could not command her heart to set Killian aside. Seeing his familiarity with the other blonde stirred feelings inside her that she did not want to name. She was not jealous. She’d told him to leave her alone. He was free to do as he wanted. But no matter how much she repeated this to herself, her heart would not listen.

She made her way into the hospital, David thankfully hanging back, and walked to the elevators to Neal’s room. Part of her wished Killian was here, holding her hand and helping her fortify her courage. It was the same part of her that, when she was exhausted and yet couldn’t sleep, carried her to the living room and caused her to settle next to him on the couch. She hadn’t meant to end up with her head in his lap. She’d only wanted to sit for a few minutes and watch him at rest, admiring his profile. She must have dozed off and settled on his lap in her sleep.

The memory tinged her cheeks with a red flush. As the elevator dinged and she stepped off, she prayed it was not noticable. She headed to Neal’s room and knocked on the partially open door.

Neal’s parents were both in the room, a tense silence between them. Milah’s face lit up when she saw Emma, but quickly settled into a mask of guilt. She looked down at the floor and wrung her hands in front of her. Robert Gold stood when he saw Emma and stepped toward her menacingly.

“Miss Swan. I thought I told you to stay away,” he growled.

“Dad, shut the fuck up,” she heard Neal say behind them. Emma looked toward him to see him fully awake, but still in the bed, propped up to a seated position thanks to the adjustable bed and several pillows. His skin was still sallow and his movements were slow. She ignored his parents and rushed to his side.

“You’re awake,” she said, taking his hand.

“Hey, Ems,” he smiled.

She stared at him for a moment longer, her eyes becoming misty. “Neal… Henry…” she began.

“I know.”

“What happened?”

He took a deep breath and tried to sit up further. Both Robert and Milah lunged to help him, but he held his other hand up to stay them. Emma helped arrange the pillows behind his back to support his new position.

He scrubbed his hands over his face and looked at her, tears welling up in his eyes.

“Tamara came home Sunday morning, which surprised me. She said she was just there to get her stuff, that she had to go. I wanted to talk to her, try and figure out what was going on…  if she was leaving me, but she kept raising her voice. I told Henry to go out to the backyard to play with his soccer set. I didn’t want him to hear us.

She was yelling at me about how she never liked me and this was all just for a job. I got mad. I was hurt. We yelled a lot, but she just kept saying that she needed to wrap this up. That she had somewhere to be. I finally got fed up and told her to just get her shit and get out. I turned to go outside and get Henry, when the next thing I know, she shot me. I’m laying in my kitchen, bleeding out, while she stepped over me and headed to the backyard.”

His tears finally bubbled over and fell down his face, leaving large, wet streaks. His voice choked up as he continued. “I swear to God, Emma. I would never have sent him outside if I thought she was a danger to our son. I tried to get to him, but I couldn’t move.”

Emma choked back a sob of her own. “So you know for sure she took him?”

“Yeah. I could hear him screaming for help.” His tears came faster as he recalled the memory.

Emma’s own eyes flooded, so caught up was she in the moment. She didn’t register Milah putting an arm around her waist until it was already done. She buried her face in the crook of the other woman’s shoulder and sobbed for a full minute.

Sniffling and wiping her tears, she turned back to Neal. “We may have a lead on where she took him.” She grabbed a tissue and tried her best to delicately blow her nose. “A friend of a friend is a narcotics detective, and she has a file on Tamara. She said Tamara has never been arrested, but she’s an associate of someone named Greg Mendel, who works for the same organization you did back in the day.”

“I know Greg,” Neal said. “Well, I don’t know him personally, but I know of him.”

“You do?” Emma’s face lit up slightly at the potential for a lead.

“Yeah, he worked pretty high up. For Peter.”

“Who’s Peter?”

“Son of the head of the organization. He was only a teenager when I worked for them, but he was already ruthless. I think he’d be about 23 or 24 now. His mom, Zelena, was all about the business, but Peter was all about enforcement. You crossed Peter, you got a serious beating. I’m pretty sure he’s responsible for more than a few unsolved murders.”

“Tina says she thinks Pan is trying to get back at you for selling them out. That they took Henry to punish you.”

“Why would they take Henry to punish me? There are better ways to do that, shooting me being one option.”

“I think I know,” Robert Gold chimed in.

“What?” Neal asked, snapping his head to the right to look at his father.

“You said a woman named Zelena was the head of the organization?”

“Yeah,” Neal answered warily. “You know her?”

“I believe I may.” He looked at his son with watery eyes. Emma was shocked to see something like shame marring his features. “I had an affair with a woman name Zelena 25 years ago. I think Peter may be my son.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday! Here is the next installment of Complicating Factors. We are getting close to the end of this story. Thanks to everyone who have been alongside me in this journey. If you are new to the story, welcome and I hope you like it so far.
> 
> Eternal gratitude to @kmomof4 for being an amazing beta reader. You’ve really helped me make this story even better.

After hearing Gold’s confession, Milah was livid.

“You son of a bitch!” she snarled, standing from her chair and walking around the bed. She loomed over her ex-husband, poking him in the chest. “Ten years ago you made my life a living hell! Accused me of driving our son away! And the entire time with the knowledge that fifteen years earlier you’d already committed the same crime! And fathered an illegitimate child, no less!”

She straightened and took a few steps back, pausing to catch her breath. Gold cowered in his seat for a brief moment, and Emma had never seen him look so small. He seemed to recollect himself quickly, however, and stood to face his ex-wife. Although he was slightly shorter than her, he squared his shoulders and gave her an intimidating sneer, stepping into her space. She stood her ground, though she did lean back a few inches.

Gold stood with his hands balled into fists at his side, leering up at her. “You should be careful what you say to me,” he snarled. “My indiscretion does not lessen yours. You still cheated on me with a man half your age. A friend of our son. You are still every bit as guilty.”

“You bastard!” Milah spat as she advanced on him. “How dare you try and turn this around on me?! My indiscretion didn’t result in our grandson being kidnapped!” Gold was forced to take a few steps back as she continued her stride.

Emma and Neal watched with rapt attention, neither wanting to interrupt. Milah and Robert seemed to be at a standstill, each staring daggers, daring the other to make the next move.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Milah broke the stalemate. “You are so weak! Can’t take responsibility for yourself. Only casting blame on others!” She yelled, her voice carrying throughout the room. “I can’t believe I ever married such a spineless-”

“What is going on in here?!” An angry nurse cried out as she came charging in, interrupting Milah. Both Golds stopped and looked at her, Milah with arms crossed over her chest and Robert with his lips stuck in a sneer. When it was clear Milah had ceased her yelling, the nurse lowered her voice. “I have patients that are trying to recover and they can’t do that with you in here carrying on like this! Whatever problems you need to work out, do it somewhere other than my ICU.”

Milah relaxed almost imperceptibly. “Of course. I apologize.” She backed away and walked back to the chair she’d previously been occupying.

Gold was less accommodating and simply waved his hand in a dismissive gesture at the nurse. He turned back and looked at Milah, ready to resume the argument, when Neal interjected.

“Give it a rest, Dad,” he said, his voice still weak. He reached for his cup of ice water, which Emma handed to him.

After a moment of tense silence, Gold resumed his seat as well. Emma continued to stand next to Neal’s side.

“Neal…” she began. “Tina, the detective, Detective Bell, that is, she said that if they took Henry to punish you, they might try to contact you. Have you heard anything?”

He looked puzzled. “I don’t even know where my phone is.” He looked over at his father with a raised eyebrow. “Dad?”

Gold groaned and adjusted his posture in the chair. “It’s probably at the house. I haven’t been by there.”

“Hang on,” Milah said, “why would they shoot you if they wanted to hold Henry for ransom?”

“I don’t think Tamara meant to shoot me,” Neal said as he tenderly touched the wound at his side. “I think she was just trying to keep me away long enough to grab him. It looked like the gun went off by accident.”

“We need to get your phone,” Emma said, taking a step away from the bed. “They may have tried to reach you.”

“I will go to the house and retrieve it,” Gold said, standing up. “I need to check on the property anyway. The police contacted me this morning to tell me they were done searching the premises.”

Emma looked nervously at Gold, swallowing the lump forming in her throat. Neal reached out and grabbed her hand. Startled, she looked down at him.

“It’s okay, Ems. He’ll get it. I know he can be a major asshole, but if he says he’s gonna do something, he’ll do it.”

“I heard that,” Robert growled, though his tone was lighter than it had been only a few moments ago.

“I know you did,” Neal replied. “And you can be a major asshole. It’s never been something you denied.”

Gold’s mouth set in a firm line, but he said nothing more. He turned and left the room without further discussion.

After Gold left, Emma stood nervously by Neal. Milah looked at her with a furrowed brow.

“Emma,” Milah said. “I think you need to go home and rest. I will stay here with Neal. Keep your phone nearby and we’ll call as soon as we know something more.”

Emma sniffled and wiped at the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Nodding her head, she let go of Neal’s hand and walked out of the room. She was nearly to the elevator when she heard Milah call out, chasing her down the hall. Emma turned and met her halfway, in front of the door to a supply closet.

Milah panted for a moment to catch her breath. “I almost forgot, but I wanted to reassure you that nothing happened between Killian and I yesterday.”

Emma flushed at the memory, shame creeping up at how she’d acted out. “I appreciate that… I do, but there was more going on than my finding you in his arms.”

Milah held out her hands in a pleading gesture. “He was only holding me because I had a panic attack.” She took a deep breath before continuing in a lower tone.  “I used to get them quite frequently in the early years, after my divorce, and Killian holding me helped. When I started having one yesterday, I think he just went back to the method he knew best. It’s been years since I had one, but some behaviors are ingrained.”

“I…” Emma wasn’t sure how to respond. She stared at Milah, wide-eyed, her mouth hanging open.

Milah moved to put her hand on Emma’s shoulder. “Just keep that in mind when you think about things.”

“Okay,” Emma replied.

Milah pulled her into a hug and they embraced tightly before separating. “I’m going to get back to Neal. You get home and rest. We’ll find Henry soon. I have a feeling about it.”

Emma nodded her head once more, and the two parted, walking in opposite directions. Emma felt dazed, not sure of anything and just hoping Milah’s feeling was correct.

* * *

Emma had insisted on going to the hospital herself, and David offered to follow her. With nothing left to do and nowhere to be, Killian decided to run a few errands to keep himself busy. He felt untethered as he walked back into the building. He and Emma hadn’t had a chance to discuss their unexpected sleeping arrangement, and he had a feeling she had no intention to. He was walking into the building, weighing the pros and cons of pushing the matter, when he saw her stepping onto the elevator. Running as fast as he could, he just barely caught the doors before they closed. As he stepped inside, he was grateful to find Emma the only occupant.

She looked at him with shifty eyes, clutching her hands behind her back.

“Swan,” he said, not wanting to waste the precious few minutes they would have. “Please, can we talk?”

She seemed to strengthen her resolve, lifting her head and facing him. “I can’t do this right now, Killian. I just want to get my son back.”

“And you will.”

“You can’t know that.” She sighed and shook her head. Then she looked up at him through her lashes, her eyes flashing with something akin to hope. “Can you?”

He held her gaze, moving in closer. “I’ve yet to see you fail.”

The air felt charged. There was still enough space to fit another person between them, and Killian lifted his foot, intent on closing the gap. He was stopped, however, when the elevator dinged to announce they’d arrived at Emma’s floor.

She pushed away from the wall and made a hasty escape, walking toward her door. He followed directly, no hesitation in his movements. When they reached her flat, she opened the door and resignedly held it open for him. Once the door was closed, she turned to him again.

“What did you hear from Neal?” he asked, his voice just above a whisper.

“Tamara definitely took Henry,” Emma said.

“Does he know why?”

“We got some news that confirms Tina’s hunch. Apparently Neal has a half brother that Greg Mendel works for.”

“A half brother?” Killian raised an eyebrow in confusion. “When did this happen?”

“Gold had an affair 25 years ago, and it just so happens that his former mistress and her son now run the Pan Organization.”

Killian looked at her with narrowed eyes. “Gold… had an affair?”

“Oh yeah. Milah was there, and she laid into him when he admitted it. It was quite entertaining.”

“Well, good for her. The bastard sure didn’t make things easy for her when he found out about she and I.”

“I guess,” Emma said, groaning and falling on the couch. She dropped her head to her hands before turning her face to look up at him. “It’s all too coincidental, you know? Like we’ve got fates toying with our lives.”

“I understand what you mean. But who knows why things happen the way they do?” he said with a shrug. “The important thing is that you have a lead.”

“Yeah. And nothing to do for it until I hear from Neal.” She sighed and sank back into the cushions.

He didn’t know what to say, so he just joined her on the sofa. Sitting there, his mind couldn’t help but wander back to their earlier nap. He wanted to say something to her. It was burning on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t find the words. He was too afraid of her reaction. Finally, after an internal struggle that seemed like hours, though was more likely only mere minutes, he cleared his throat and tilted his head to look at her. “I miss you.”

She turned and met his gaze. “I miss you too.”

“So, why aren’t we together right now? Consoling one another?” He could hardly believe it had only been 48 hours since he confessed his love to her.

“I just… I can’t, okay?!” She snapped, thrusting her hands in front of her as if trying to show him something very obvious. “If you’re so lonely, why don’t you look up Tink?”

“What?” he asked, his brow furrowed and mouth agape. “What would make you think I want to spend time with Tink?”

“Well… you just… I mean… you knew her… and you know…”

“I’m afraid I don’t.”

“You just… you need someone better than me!” She shook her hands again and looked up at the ceiling, closing her eyes. “Someone who doesn’t ruin things,” she continued in a near whisper.

He was taken aback. He could see now that her resolve had snapped. She was laying her cards before him. He moved closer and took her hand in his, leaving enough slack should she want to pull back. Fortunately she didn’t.

“Why do you say you ruin things?”

“Because I do!” she yelled, hot tears spilling over her cheeks. “It’s my fault Henry was taken and Neal was shot. You need to get away from me before something bad happens to you. I love you too much to watch you get hurt!”

She seemed to realize what she’d said a moment too late. She gasped and pressed the fingers of her other hand to her lips, staring at him wide-eyed. He catalogued the moment for another day, committing her confession to his memory.

“None of this is your fault, love,” he replied as he smoothed his thumb over the back of her hand.

“But… if I hadn’t pushed Neal away… then… he wouldn’t… have met… Tamara,” she choked out, pausing every few words to heave a gasping breath.

He closed the distance between them and put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her in close and kissing her temple. “Listen to me,” he said, lips pressed against her forehead. “This is not your fault. None of it. Circumstances are beyond our control.”

She shook her head in agreement, but the tears came faster. She let loose all her grief and anguish, while Killian continued to hold her, rubbing her back and kissing her forehead. When she finally seemed spent, he pulled her to his chest, bridal-style, and stood. He carried her to the bedroom and laid her down. After removing both of their shoes, he stretched out beside her and pulled her to him, her back flush with his chest.

“Sleep, my love,” he said, tucking an errant strand of her hair behind her ear. It only took a few more halting sobs before her breath evened out and she fell into a deep sleep. Killian joined her a moment later.

* * *

Emma and Killian slept the whole night. Upon waking, she temporarily forgot the events of the last two days. Stretching out against Killian, she reveled in the feel of his strong arms wrapped around her. Slowly, the fog began to clear from her mind and everything came back to her in a rush. She sat up with a start, staring at the bedside clock.

“Shit!” She cried, leaping out of bed.

Killian struggled to sit up. “Emma? What is it?”

She wave her hand pointedly at the clock. “It’s 7 AM. We slept for twelve hours!”

He groaned and scrubbed his hand down his face. “Did Neal call?”

“I don’t know. Where’s my phone?” She stomped out of the room, toward the living room. She found her phone, but there were no missed calls or texts from Neal. Immediately, she called his number.

 _“Hey Emma,”_  he said, his voice croaky.

“Hey yourself,” she replied curtly. “Did you hear from Peter? Anything about Henry?”

_“Yeah. He called me last night.”_

“And you didn’t think to let me know?!”

_“It was late. I figured you’d be sleeping.”_

She sucked in a deep breath, trying to keep her patience. “Okay… what did he say?”

_“He wants to meet with us.”_

“Us? As in you and me, us?”

_“Yeah.”_

“How does he even know who I am?”

_“I don’t know, but he asked for you by name. He said if we come, we’ll get Henry back. No cops, though.”_

“No way. I am not trusting a den of drug dealers to get me my son back. I’m calling David.”

 _“Emma no!”_ Neal cried, his voice surprisingly forceful.  _“Sorry. It’s just… if Peter says no cops, then you don’t bring the cops. He’s a vicious little shit, and I worry about what he would do to Henry if we don’t play by his rules.”_

“But how do we even know he’ll do what he says?”

_“Two things everyone always said about Peter. One, he’s crazy. But two, if he makes a deal with you, he’ll keep that deal.”_

Emma breathed a shaky breath. “You really think we’ll get Henry back if we do this?”

_“Yeah, I do.”_

“Okay. Where do we have to meet?”

 _“He said he’d send a car to my place. Can you be over there by seven?_ ”

“I don’t like this, Neal.”

_“I know. But we’ll get him back. I’ll see you later.”_

She hung up and turned to meet Killian’s questioning gaze. “The enforcer of this drug organization, the one who also happens to be Neal’s half brother, asked to meet with me by name, tonight. No cops.”

Killian’s eyes widened in shock. “What?! No. Swan, you can’t go without backup. You need to call David.”

“No! Neal said Peter is a loose cannon and may try to hurt Henry if we disobey his rules.”

“All the more reason to have backup, Swan.”

Emma heaved a sigh, slumping her shoulders. “I have to do this, Killian. Can’t you understand that?”

He reached out and grasped her shoulders, lightly running his hands over her arms. “Of course I do, Swan. I love Henry too. I want him safely back in your arms. But I don’t want to lose you as well. This plan is too dangerous.”

Emma bit her tongue and held back her eye roll. She understood Killian’s concern, but she also knew that nothing would keep her from her son if she had a chance to reunite with him. Deciding to let it go for the moment, she yawned and stepped closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He reciprocated her affection, embracing her and stroking her hair.

“I love you, Emma. I can’t lose you,” he whispered into her hair. She felt the tiniest bit of guilt rise up in her, knowing without a doubt that she was going to betray his trust later that day.

With nothing else to do, Emma and Killian spent most of the day on the couch, mindlessly watching TV or dozing, wrapped in one another’s arms. It was almost nice, if it weren’t for the fact that Henry was still missing. She’d called David and Tina a few times, but said nothing about Neal’s contact with Peter. Killian protested and told her she should let them know, but she refused. There was no other news to report.

There was plenty of time to formulate her plan to get away. She had to get Killian out of the apartment  in order to make her escape. Finally, a little after five, she figured out what to do.

“Shit!” she yelled from the bathroom.

“Emma! Are you alright?” He called back.

“Yes!” She groaned. “It just looks like my period started early, and I don’t have any tampons.”

“Oh,” he replied.

“I’m gonna need to run down to the drug store,” she whined, hoping to convey just how irritated she was with the situation.

“I can drive you.”

“No, it’s okay, you can stay here.”

“Swan, what else have I got to do? Let me just grab my shoes and my wallet.”

Emma walked out to the living room, grabbing her middle and groaning, trying hard to not overdo it. “Actually…” she said with a grunt. “Would you mind going by yourself? I’m not sure I feel up to leaving just now. The cramps are always worse when I’m stressing.”

He smiled at her. A sweet, genuine smile that showed what an amazing guy he was. “Of course, love. What brand do you like?”

She showed him the empty box (which she’d only just emptied) and he took a picture of it. “Can you also get me some ice cream? Ben and Jerry’s Half Baked.”

He leaned over and kissed her forehead gently. “Your heart’s desire, Swan.” He dropped his hand to press into her lower back and massaged her for a moment. “Perhaps when I get back I can give you a soothing back rub.”

 _Shit_  she thought. He was such an amazing guy, and she was really taking advantage of him here. She hoped he’d understand when it was all over. She hoped he would forgive her.

* * *

As soon as he was gone, Emma ran to her room and dressed in jeans, boots, and a light jacket. She raced out of her apartment, not even bothering to lock the door. She took the stairwell as opposed to the elevator, and walked out the front entrance of the building, opposite the back door from the parking lot where she usually came in. She walked a few blocks before hailing a cab to take her the rest of the way to Neal’s place.

She arrived at Neal’s around 6:30. He answered the door looking like death warmed over.

“Were you supposed to be released today?” she asked in lieu of a greeting.

“Yeah, but the doc said I’m supposed to stay in bed and rest.” He scratched at his the overgrown stubble on his chin and stifled a yawn.

“So much for that.”

“It’s worth it if we get Henry back.”

At seven o’clock on the dot, a black town car pulled up in front of Neal’s house. The windows were so dark that they nearly blended in with the shiny black exterior. She and Neal walked toward it, and a gruff looking man opened the door and stepped out. He said nothing, but advanced on Neal. Neal acquiesced, lifting his arms and widening his stance so the silent man could give him a pat down. As he did so, he took Neal’s cell phone. Once done, he turned and Neal gestured to Emma that she should cooperate. She stiffened when the man approached her and took a step back. Grabbing her cell phone from her jacket pocket, she held it up. Before he could grab it, she tossed it into the shrubs in front of Neal’s house. “I’d like to be able to get it back,” she said.

The man shrugged and continued to stay silent. He moved toward her again, but she stepped back once more and held up her hands. “Can we skip the pat down?” She took off her jacket and handed it to him. “Feel free to inspect that.” She turned in a circle slowly. “I’m wearing skinny jeans and a tight shirt. I couldn’t conceal a weapon in this outfit if I wanted to.” He seemed satisfied and handed her jacket back, returning to the car. Neal and Emma followed.

The drive took forever. The driver was either deliberately trying to confuse her sense of direction, or the meeting was taking place out in the middle of nowhere. When they finally stopped, they were standing outside a run-down warehouse. Emma wasn’t sure of the exact part of town they were in, but they definitely had not left Boston.

Silent man led her and Neal into the warehouse. It was a large, open space with sparse furnishings. She had no idea what it was used for, but she felt like she was standing on the set of some 80’s cop movie.

They kept walking, ascending a set of stairs to the second level and stopping at what appeared to be a semi-functional office space with several desks and chairs. At first glance they were run down, but upon closer inspection, she saw they had all been recently used. There was hardly any dust on the desk surfaces.

Silent man left them, still never having said a word. Emma and Neal stood close to one another without touching for some time while they waited. Finally, she heard footsteps and turned to see who was approaching.

A young man walked up, his posture menacing as he took loping steps in their direction. He was tall, with angular features, shaggy blonde hair, and large scar that swept down over the bridge of his nose and under his right eye. His cheeks were deceptively smooth, making him appear to still be a teenager. But rather than soften him, his perceived youth only added to his appearance of malice. Unconsciously, Emma stepped a bit closer to Neal.

“Felix,” Neal said by way of greeting.

“Welcome back, Neal,” Felix growled, his voice sending ice through Emma’s veins. “You are fortunate indeed. We don’t normally welcome traitors back into the fold.”

“I’m just here for my son.”

“Really?” Felix asked. He stepped closer and reached out, lightly brushing his fingers along Emma’s arm. “Is she your bargaining chip?”

Emma reacted swiftly, slapping his arm away and taking a defensive stance. “Back off!”

Felix snarled and grabbed her upper arm in a tight grip, pulling her closer to him. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by the entrance of another person.

“Now now, Felix,” came a clipped British voice from behind him. “Is that any way to treat our guests?”

Felix released Emma’s arm and stepped aside to reveal another deceptively young-looking man. Where Felix was all sharp angles, this boy was soft, with a cherubic face and brown hair feathering across his forehead. Not a single whisker marred his face, but his eyes were cold and calculating. He looked to be no more than 15, but he was dressed in an expensive looking suit and carried an air of danger that dwarfed Felix’s.

“It’s nice to finally be able to meet you, brother,” he said as he paced in front of them. “I’m afraid the last time you were here, I was not aware of your role in our organization until after you disappeared.” He stopped and stood in front of Emma. “And this must be the beautiful girl who took your place in jail. Emma, isn’t it?”

“How do you know me?” she asked, fighting to keep the tremor out of her voice.

“Oh, I know everyone,” he replied with a wink that made her stomach churn.

“Alright Peter,” Neal said. “We’re here. Where’s Henry?”

Peter kept his gaze on Emma as he replied to Neal. “You mean my little nephew? Charming boy, really.”

“What have you done with him?!” Emma cried, unable to keep a lid on her anger any longer.

“Ooo…” Peter said, mimicking a shudder. He turned his gaze back to Neal. “She’s got fire. I like fire. I can see why you’re so fascinated with her, brother. Isn’t it a shame she dumped you for a boring history professor?”

“Tell me where my son is or I swear to God I’ll break your legs!” Emma yelled again.

Peter emitted a cold laugh and nodded to Felix. The gangly young man stepped closer to Emma and pinned her arms behind her back, holding her with an unnaturally strong grip. She struggled against his hold, but it was useless.

Peter spared her one more glace before he resumed his pacing. “You see, Neal. You did a very bad thing. You gave out information about our shipping schedules. You cost the company thousands of dollars.”

“How is it my fault you don’t change five year old schedules?”

“Oh we do. That’s the only reason you didn’t cost us millions. But you brought unwanted attention to us. And why? So you could get a court to order Emma here to share custody? If you needed help getting your son back, you should have come to me in the first place. It would have saved everyone a lot of trouble.”

“I don’t want your help,” Neal replied.

“Right, so instead you go to the worthless DA so you can work out an arrangement to get one hour a week with your son? Bad choice, Neal. You needed to learn a lesson. Have you learned your lesson?”

“I’ve learned I’m tired of hearing your voice.”

“You never were the clever one, were you Neal? Looks like I got all of those genes.”

Emma continued to struggle against Felix, despite the perceived futility. Her efforts paid off, however, when he lost his grip and she was able to break from his hold. She spun and grabbed Peter, wrapping her fingers around his throat.

“Where is my son?” she hissed in his ear.

Peter’s laughter rang in her ears, and it was the last sound she heard before she was struck over the head and the room went dark.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another Monday, another installment of Complicating Factors! I hope you all had a good weekend and are looking forward to a good week. And no matter where you are mentally or physically, I hope you enjoy this chapter. More notes at the end.

When Emma came to, she was in what looked like a storage closet, lying on the floor, her head pillowed on her hands. Thankfully she wasn’t tied up, so she stood to her feet and approached the door. Turning the handle, she found it was locked from the outside. There was no light that she could see, other than the small sliver that came from under the door. She felt around the frame, trying to find hinges and having no luck, and determined that the door swung outward. With that in mind, she threw her weight against it, which accomplished nothing but to make her hip sore. Still, she tried again several times, and also tried kicking it, but nothing seemed to work. Finally, she resorted to banging on the door and yelling for someone to let her out.

The longer she was stuck there, the more worried she became. Where was Neal? Was he okay? What about Henry? Would she ever see her son again? And what about Killian? Would she die in this warehouse, never being able to settle things between them? Was she not allowed her happy ending, that picture she held in her heart of she and Killian with Henry and a dark-haired baby? She screamed some more, yelling until she was so hoarse that her cries sounded more like croaks. Finally when her body was exhausted and throat felt like it was on fire, she gave up and slumped against the door.

She must have dozed off from exhaustion. The sound of a key jiggling in the door handle awoke her. Turning her head just as the door swung open, she squinted to allow her eyes to adjust to the sudden rush of light. When her vision cleared, she saw that her rescuer was none other than Tamara.

“Come on,” Tamara whispered. “You’ve gotta go.”

Emma stood up and, without hesitation, rounded on Tamara, punching her square in the jaw. Tamara gave a quick cry of pain and grasped her chin in her hand.

“Where’s Henry?!” Emma yelled.

“Shut up!” Tamara hissed as she rubbed the spot on her cheek that would definitely have a bruise. “You want them to find us and lock you back up? Or worse?”

“What?” Emma asked, dropping the arm she had poised for another hit.

Tamara looked at Emma with a furrowed brow, her mouth agape. “I’m getting you out of here,” she replied, as if it were obvious.

Emma was taken aback. Her mouth dropped open for a moment before she snapped it shut. “Why?”

“Why?” Tamara threw her hands up in frustration as she repeated Emma’s question. “Um… I’m sorry, would you prefer to stay trapped in a supply closet?”

Emma looked at Tamara critically before she advanced on on the other woman, stepping into her space. “Why are you rescuing me, after you shot Neal and kidnapped my son?”

“Look,” Tamara said, stepping back and throwing up her hands in a pleading gesture. “I didn’t want to take Henry. Peter made me. He said he was gonna kill me if I didn’t do it. I didn’t have a choice.”

Emma scoffed. “There is always a choice.” She stepped away and cradled her face in her hands, taking a deep breath. Gathering her resolve, she lifted her head and looked upon Tamara once more. “Now, where is my son?”

“Henry’s fine. He’s sleeping right now.”

“I didn’t ask  _how_  he was doing or  _what_ he was doing. I asked  _where_  he is!” She quickened her step, drawing her elbow back and preparing to strike again.

“I can take you to him!” Tamara cried as she crossed her arms over her head and crouched to deflect the incoming blow.

Emma stopped, staring at the other woman hunched over in fear. “Let’s go.”

“Wait,” Tamara said as she straightened up and held out her hand to stop Emma. “It’s not that easy. We have to figure out a way to get you out of here after you get him.”

“I thought you were getting me out of here?”

“Yeah,  _you_. Not you  _and_  him. It’s a lot harder to get you both out of here.”

“What about Neal? Where is he?”

“I don’t know. Peter’s got him.”

“We can’t leave him here. We need to get him out.”

“No way. I can’t help your entire little family escape. It’s you and Henry. That’s the best I can do. Neal’s a lost cause.”

Emma bit her lip. If Neal knew she had a choice, he’d never fault her for getting Henry out first. “Take me to Henry.”

Tamara led her out of the room and down the hall. They stopped at a door that led to a stairwell and stepped inside. Emma looked up and immediately groaned. “How far up do we have to go?”

“Henry is in Peter’s apartment, on the top floor. They’ll let me in to see him because I’m the only person he knows. But getting him out is going to be hard. There are two guys at the door at all hours.”

Emma spun around, looking up the stairwell before turning her gaze back to Tamara. “Does Peter’s apartment have roof access?”

Tamara thought for a moment. “Yeah. He’s got a garden up there.”

“There’s gotta be a door at the top of the stairwell that leads to the roof. If I can get up there, you can get inside the apartment and get Henry to me through Peter’s garden.”

“Yeah, but what are you gonna do once you’re up there? You wanna carry a sleepy five year-old down fifteen flights of stairs?”

Emma glared at her with narrowed eyes. “Hell yes. I’ll do whatever it takes to get my son out of here.” She paused. “How do I get out of here once I have him?”

“You don’t.” Tamara said.

Emma lunged at the other woman and grabbed her by the shirt. “Cut the shit! How were you gonna get me out of here? Or did you just get me out of that closet so you could fuck with me?”

Tamara winced and threw her hands in front of her body again. “There’s a fire escape! Two floors down from here. But unless you have a car, you won’t get ten feet from the building before Peter’s guys catch you.”

“And I suppose you were just going to get me out of the building and turn me loose to be caught and killed?”

“I have a car. It’s downstairs. I was going to give you a ride.” Emma rolled her eyes, but Tamara increased the volume of her voice and stared at her wide-eyed. “Seriously! Peter doesn’t give a shit about you. I would just get a slap on the hand if I let you go. I’d be doing him a favor; getting rid of a nuisance. But if I get caught helping you take Henry, I won’t walk away from this building again. Peter will kill me where I stand.”

“You’re really that afraid of him?” Emma asked, stepping back to take a fresh look at her companion.

“Peter doesn’t forgive. If I cross him, I’m as good as dead.” The other woman’s face took on a pale cast as she considered this.

“And I’m guessing you don’t want to die, considering you shot your boyfriend and kidnapped my son under threat of death from Peter.”

“No, I don’t want to die,,” she replied in a near whisper. “I’m too young. I haven’t seen enough.”

Emma reached out and grabbed the other woman’s arm in a firm grip. “Then come with us.”

“What?” Tamara asked, her brown eyes watery.

“Come with us,” Emma repeated, her tone laced with compassion. “I have a friend who’s a detective. He can help get you in protective custody.”

“But… Greg… my boyfriend... he won’t leave.”

“Oh, your real boyfriend? Well, whoever he is, you and he are in deep with some messed up shit. Does he know you’re helping me?”

“No. He’s loyal to Peter. He’d never flip.”

“If you don’t want to die, leave Greg. Come with me and Henry.”

Tamara took a deep breath and looked Emma in the eye. “Okay.”

The next hour went by in a blur. Tamara took the elevator up to the top floor while Emma climbed the stairs to the roof. Her legs were on fire by the time she got to the top, but adrenaline fueled her movements and kept her going. The roof access door locked from the inside, but she was able to find a large rock to prop it open. They were going to need to get back through, since they had to take the stairs to get out of the building.

Once on the roof, she looked around to get her bearings. The wind whipped against her, and she huddled into her jacket. She spun around and finally saw the rooftop garden Tamara mentioned. It was ostentatious, obviously a product of someone with too much wealth and too little class. The garden sat atop a raised wooden platform. Heavy wrought-iron furniture sat on the platform, and it was surrounded by tropical plants that were probably a bitch to keep alive in the harsh Boston winters. There were several types of palm trees, tropical fruit trees, and some strange pink flowers she’d never seen before.

She didn’t have much time to observe the garden, because a hatch was thrown open, and Tamara emerged a moment later. Henry was clinging to her shoulder, his eyes red from tears and his nose running. He looked so small in that moment. Emma couldn’t stop the sob that escaped from her mouth when she saw him. She ran over to Tamara and grabbed him from the other woman’s arms, hugging him close and kissing him several times on the top of his head.

“Mommy?” he asked in his sleepy voice.

“Yeah baby,” she choked out through her tears. “I’m here.”

While Emma took a moment to be with her son, Tamara busied herself with shoving a heavy iron table over the top of the hatch. When she was done, the trio turned to leave. Their exit was cut short, however, when they reached the roof access door and found it firmly shut. The rock Emma had wedged there was broken into multiple pieces. It wasn’t clear if the rock crumbled from the weight of the door, or if someone deliberately crushed it in order to thwart their escape.

“Shit!” Tamara yelled. “Fuck! I’m gonna die. We’re all gonna fucking die.”

Henry cried when her heard her words and buried his head in Emma’s neck. “I don’t want to die, Mommy.”

“You’re not going to die, Henry,” she responded, her voice compassionate but firm. She turned to Tamara. “The door crushed the rock. No one knows we’re up here.”

“But how are going to get down? Tamara cried, her panic rising.

“I haven’t figured that out yet,” Emma replied. “But we will.”

It took a few minutes to calm Henry down before Emma could collect her thoughts and start to formulate a plan. If only she could call David, but she had tossed her phone outside Neal’s place to keep Peter’s goon from taking it. She looked over at Tamara, who looked shifty-eyed and afraid. Something was off about Tamara, and not just due to her nervous behavior. Emma couldn’t put her finger on it, until she stared at the other woman for a bit longer.

It hit her like a lightning bolt. Tamara didn’t have her phone out. Every other time they’d interacted, Tamara had spent more than half the time fiddling with her phone. Her eyes snapped to Tamara’s face. “Your phone.”

“Pardon?” She asked, not bothering to meet Emma’s gaze.

“Do you have your phone?”

“Oh, shit, yeah,” she said, digging into her jacket pocket and pulling out the device.

“Unlock it and give it here.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m calling in reinforcements.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Killian was pacing the floor of the apartment, likely wearing a groove into the hardwood. It had been nearly six hours since he last saw Emma, and he had yet to hear from her. He’d called David immediately upon returning and finding her gone. David promised to do his best, but he had nothing to go on. Killian had begged her not to go through with this plan, or at the very least to contact David, but she’d refused. She was single-mindedly focused on getting her son back, and Neal must have scared her enough to believe that this Peter fellow would harm Henry if given the chance.

David had chastised Killian for fifteen minutes about not informing him of this plan the moment he heard it. In all fairness, Killian could have shut down the lecture after five minutes, but he let it go on. He felt responsible for putting her in danger. He was older than Emma. He should have known better. David had eventually taken pity on the other man, conceding that once Emma got into her head to do something, there was little chance of talking her out of it.

He was so focused on his inner turmoil, that he almost didn’t hear his phone ringing. He dove for it, seeing David’s name appear. “Dave,” he answered. “Please tell me you found her.”

“Better,” David replied, his voice holding something akin to pride. “She found Henry and called me. We’re on the way to get her.”

“Are they safe?” Killian asked, his voice becoming choked as his pulse raced.

“She said they are. They’re on a roof. I told her to stay up there and barricade the door.”

“Where are they? I’ll come meet you.”

“No way. You are staying right there for now. I’m only calling to ease your mind and let you know they are safe.”

“Bloody hell Dave! You can’t do this to me. I need to see my girlfriend and my s-” he stopped himself before he said too much.

“As soon as I get them out, we’ll need to take Henry to the hospital to make sure he’s okay. I’ll let you know which one we go to.”

Killian breathed a deep sigh of relief. “Thank you Dave.”

They hung up and Killian immediately resumed wearing a groove in the floor.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Once she got ahold of David, Emma and Tamara were resigned to waiting on the roof for the cavalry to arrive. David told them to block the roof access door and not to open it until she heard him on the other side. Reluctantly, she set Henry down and returned to Peter’s garden. With Tamara’s help, they drug a heavy iron bench across the roof and wedged it against the door. Emma then picked Henry up and forced Tamara to join her as she walked the perimeter of the roof, looking for other access points.

Once she was satisfied they were secure, there was nothing left to do but to hunker down and wait. Unfortunately, the more time they waited, the more second thoughts Tamara was having.

“Greg is going to kill me. No…” she stopped herself, eyes going wide. “Peter’s going to kill Greg and make me watch. Oh God… what have I done?” She looked at Emma with tears streaming down her face.

Mercifully, Henry had succumbed to his exhaustion shortly after they sat down, and was therefore not witness to Tamara’s macabre ramblings. Emma huffed a sigh and looked the other woman up and down. “What’s so great about Greg that you are more worried about Peter killing him than you?”

She sniffled and stared off into the distance before answering. “I love him. He’s always been there for me. He came up with me and we came to Peter together.”

“If he’s always been there for you, why’s he so loyal to Peter now?”

“Greg’s father was killed by the bitch Peter and his mom took over from. We worked for a rival dealer, and when Peter offered to let Greg torture the hag before she died, he couldn’t resist. He’d do anything for Peter. He believes in the mission.”

“What mission? To sell coke?”

She looked shocked at Emma’s words. “No…” she stammered. “I mean, yeah, the drugs are a part of it, but that’s not everything PAN does. Peter has a plan to help subvert modern society. To create anarchy, and from the ashes build something better. You gotta admit our world is pretty fucked up.”

“What the hell? Seriously?” Emma scoffed. “I’m not arguing that we have to live with some messed up shit, but you honestly want to tear everything down? Like that has ever accomplished anything in the past! You’re just gonna create a wreck that a whole lot of good people will have to clean up.”

Tamara chuckled dryly. “I don’t expect you to get it. All you care about is some happy Stepford existence with your perfect boyfriend.”

“Damn right I do,” Emma said, raising her voice as high as she dared with a sleeping Henry in her arms. “It’s all I wanted as a child. Do you know what it’s like, bouncing from shitty home to shitty home, always hoping that the next one will be better? That maybe after the next move you’ll find a family that really wants you? I learned way too late that if I wanted a happy family, I would have to make one. And I’ve worked my ass off to get it, and no deranged twerp and his band of morons is going to take that away from me.”

During Emma’s speech, Tamara’s eyes grew wider and wider, her mouth dropping open. She snapped it shut, only to open and close it a few more times. She didn’t say anything. Emma assumed she couldn’t say anything. She craned her neck, trying to hear the sirens she knew must be coming. She couldn’t get away from Tamara and that roof soon enough.

As if on cue, she heard a faint wailing in the distance, steadily growing stronger. She breathed a small sigh of relief, and huddled deeper into her coat.

The next hour passed in a blur. She heard an officer on the bullhorn, directing Peter to come out. There was some gunfire, which woke Henry and led to him wailing in terror. Emma pulled him close and covered his ears, rubbing his back and trying to calm him. Tamara’s fear seemed to increase with every shot, until she was a weeping mess. Finally, everything was quiet. Emma hesitated still, not wanting to make a wrong move and put herself or Henry in danger. She was just contemplating looking over the ledge and calling down to the police, when there came a banging on the roof access door.

Henry and Tamara both screamed loudly. Emma felt bile rise in her throat. She was sure this was Peter’s last stand and she wouldn’t make it. Then she heard an entirely different voice.

“Emma! Are you still up here?” David called from the other side of the heavy door. He tried to shove it open, which caused the bench to screech in protest.

“David!” Emma called back. “Thank God! Is it safe?”

“Yes, the building is clear. Can you move whatever you have blocking this door?”

She motioned to Tamara and put Henry down, admonishing him to stay where he was. Tamara was still a shaken wreck, but she dutifully walked over and helped push the bench away from the door. It swung open as soon as they stepped back, and David and several other officers came pouring out. The other officers spread out over the roof, searching for anyone else, but David stayed and pulled Emma into a fierce hug. He cradled the back of her head and cried a few tears of his own.

“Don’t you ever pull some shit like this again,” he whispered into her hair. “You know I think of you as my sister. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you. Or Henry.”

He pulled away and looked at the little boy whose eyes were as wide as saucers, taking in all the activity around him.

“Uncle Davy,” Henry said when he finally caught the older man’s gaze. “Are we okay?”

David took two steps and scooped Henry up in his arms. “Yeah kid. We’re okay.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

For the second time that week, Killian raced through the corridors of a hospital, searching for Emma. Dave called him as soon as they were on the way. Henry had to be checked out, as expected, and Emma had ridden with Henry in the ambulance. He was relieved to hear that Henry appeared relatively unharmed, but would not feel at ease until he saw the boy with his own eyes. Finally, he came to the unit where Henry was being examined. There were officers stationed outside the door of the unit, and they barred him from entering.

“I need to see my girlfriend and her son,” he pleaded. “David Nolan knows I’m coming. Please, find him. He’ll tell you.”

The uniformed officer looked at him skeptically, but called out for David. When he spotted Killian, he waved him through.

“Thank you mate. Where are they?” Killian asked, his heart beating a thousand miles a minute in his chest.

“Right over here.” David led him to the room. When he stepped inside, he saw Henry sitting on the bed, watching cartoons on the TV. The boy’s face drifted from the screen. He held up his hands and cried out “Killy! You’re here!”

A flood of relief washed over him to see the exuberant boy still in good spirits. He strode to the bed and took Henry in his arms, squeezing him as tight as he could.

“I am so glad you’re alright, my boy.”

“I missed you, Killy.”

“You did?” Killian asked as he pulled away, his eyes brimming with tears.

“Yeah! I missed your stories. You make the best voices. Can you tell me one now?”

Killian looked up to meet Emma’s gaze. She looked weary, but at peace. She sat on the other side of the bed, her hand on Henry’s leg.

“You should get some sleep, kid. I know you’ve had a lot of excitement, and you need to rest from it.”

“I’ll sleep if Killy tells me a story,” Henry bargained.

She chuckled and met Killian’s eyes. “Okay by me.”

Killian sat on the edge of the bed and took Henry’s hand in his. “What story would you like to hear, lad?”

“Jack and the beanstalk! I like the way you do the giant’s voice.” He gave a big smile and puffed up his chest. “Fee fie foe fum!” he bellowed as best he could, beating his chest after each word.

Emma and Killian both smiled, and Killian began to tell the story while Emma encouraged Henry to lie down in the bed. It only took a few minutes with his eyes closed before he passed out. Once he was asleep, Killian gestured his head toward the door. Emma nodded and they both stepped into the hall. She closed the door until there was only a crack remaining, and turned to meet his gaze.

“I’m sorry,” she said at the same time he asked, “Why?”

She took his hand in hers. “I knew you didn’t like the plan, and you were worried for me, but I had a chance to get Henry back, and I had to take it. You understand that, right?”

He heaved a sigh. “Aye. I do understand. I don’t like it, but I understand. I just wish you would have trusted me with the truth.”

“I do trust you!” she hissed as loud as she dared.

“Obviously you don’t. Not enough.” He looked down and brought his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose before heaving a sigh and meeting her gaze once more. “Emma, I love you. That hasn’t changed. But these last few days, they’ve revealed something to me. Part of you may love me, but you are still so walled off that you don’t trust me to be there for you. First the other day with Milah, and then tonight with this plan. I can’t be with someone who doesn’t share the same love and trust that I do.”

“Wait…” she asked, he brow furrowed. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying maybe we should take a break from being a couple. Maybe we need to strengthen our friendship first.”

“But, what… I mean, how… how would that even work?”

“We go back to how we were before. We spend time in each other’s company, have dinner together with your boy, but spend some time on our own pursuits as well. I lost myself once before in a relationship, and I’m afraid it might be happening again.”

“But, I love you!” she pleaded.

“And that’s music to my ears, but I don’t know that it’s enough. You can only say it when we are in dire straits. I want you to be assured and confident in my love for you. I want to share everything with you. But I can’t be the one doing all the work.”

He saw her face pass from sadness to anger in the blink of an eye. “This is why I didn’t want to get involved until Henry was older! Not only are you breaking my heart, you’re going to break his too.”

“I said nothing of the sort, Emma. I want to keep spending time with you and the boy. I still love you both. I just want to pause our relationship until we are both ready to be equal partners.”

“And you chose to do this now? Tonight of all nights?”

“I didn’t plan for this, no. But did you plan to lie and deceive me like you did?”

“That’s low,” she growled as she fixed him with a narrow gaze.

His shoulders sagged as he met her eyes. “I want you to know that I am not abandoning you. I am still here. I will always be here. If you ask me to wait the rest of my life for you, I’m willing to do that. But I need you to be ready to take the next step with me.”

He suddenly pulled her into a hug. She didn’t fight him, instead wrapping her arms around his middle. “Do we have to do this?” she asked, her voice quavering.

“I’m afraid so, my love.”

She pulled away and looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears. “Killian, I don’t know how to do breakups. I’m not sure I can do this.”

“It’s not a breakup, love.” He gave her a wry smile. “It’s just a break. I’m here for you. I want to be with you. When you’re ready.”

She lifted up on her toes and pressed her lips to his briefly. He kissed her back, his body eagerly responding to her touch. He had to force himself to let go.

“I think I should go, but I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?” he said as he brushed the back of his hand against the apple of her cheek. “Maybe we can have lunch together, the three of us?”

“Okay,” she said, nodding her head and blinking away further tears.

Killian grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles. He held it to his chest for a moment longer before gently dropping it and turning to leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don’t kill me! I know this was an unexpected turn of events, even to me when I was writing it. I just couldn’t let them continue on without addressing Emma’s mistrust of Killian. But worry not. There is still a happy ending in store for our dear lovers. Please stick with me. We’re almost to the end of this story, and I promise it’s worth it.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday! I hope you are all still alive after Chapter 19. And, if you’re watching Season 7, after all the KnightRook feels in episode 7x20!
> 
> This is the last official chapter of Complicating Factors (*sob*). This story has been my baby for almost a year, and it is bittersweet to see it end. I am proud of what I’ve accomplished, and I hope you like it too. The chapter below is extra long. After this, there will be an epilogue, so keep your eyes peeled for that next week.

Chapter 20

Emma smoothed her hands over her legs, hoping the motion would soothe her nerves. It had been six weeks since the most hellish 48 hours of her life, when Henry was kidnapped, she was assaulted, and Killian had asked to take a break from their relationship. She’d been livid with him the next day, after she’d had a chance to rest and process everything. When he came over for lunch, she’d been ready to lay into him about how terrible his timing was, and how he’d lied when he said he’d always be there for her. But then, as she opened the door, he’d stepped in and given her a fierce, strong hug and told her he was sorry.

She thought at first he meant they should get back together, but he stayed firm in his belief that they need to pause the romance for a time. However, he’d been completely supportive in every other aspect, and she just couldn’t bring herself to hang on to her anger. With a little perspective, she saw his reasons for wanting to take the break. He continued to be the loving, supportive man she’d known since the first day she met him. It made her want to be her best self. With that in mind, she’d started having weekly sessions with Dr. Archibald Hopper.

Archie, as he insisted she call him, was the therapist Henry had been referred to after the kidnapping. He was a kind, patient man and after seeing how good he was with Henry, Emma asked if he took adult patients. And now, five weeks later, she was sitting in his waiting room as he finished up with another patient. Even with Archie’s soothing manner, she always got nervous before a session. Laying herself bare emotionally went against everything she learned in her youth. Archie told her it would be a long time before she ever fully reined in that instinct, but he thought she could get there some day.

The door to his office opened, and he stepped out alongside a short man with gray hair and a kindly disposition. Archie said goodbye and then looked over to meet her eye. “Hi, Emma,” he said. “Come on in.”

She stood and walked the short distance to his office, entering and settling on his brown leather sofa. He closed the door and walked over to his chair and picked up his notepad.

“So, how has your week been since we last saw one another?” He always began sessions this way, letting her decide which direction she wanted to go.

“Not too bad. Henry is doing well, which I guess you know. He had another nightmare last night, said he heard gunshots, but I was able to soothe him quickly and he got right back to sleep. He didn’t even seem to remember it this morning.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I know you were worried about his recovery.”

“I was afraid he wouldn’t be the same. He’s so friendly and curious, and I don’t want him to lose that.”

“I don’t think he will. Children are more resilient than they are sometimes given credit for. Henry is a wonderful boy and you are doing a great job raising him. Just keep doing the same and he will turn out fine.”

“Thank you,” Emma replied, tucking her hair behind her ears and meeting his gaze.

“What else?” he asked after pausing for a beat.

“Um, Neal is going to be back in town this weekend.”

“He moved up to Maine, right?”

“Yeah. He said after everything with Peter, he thought it was best if he got out of Boston. He’s working as a super in an apartment building his dad owns up there.”

“And this is his second time making a visit?”

“Yeah, he came down a couple weeks ago, right after he moved. He stayed in a hotel near my place and spent all day Saturday and Sunday with Henry.”

“And how do you feel about that?”

“Um… I want Henry to have a relationship with his father. Neal did me wrong, but he does really love his son. And I want Henry to have as much family as he can.”

“Did Henry spend the night with Neal last time?”

“No, but Neal asked if he could this time.”

“Is that something you’re open to?”

“Actually, yeah. I know last time Henry spent the night with his dad there were crazy extenuating circumstances, but Neal is taking no chances this time. He’s asked that I drop Henry off at the hotel. It has an indoor pool, and he wants to take Henry swimming and then they were going to order a pizza and watch a movie in the room. Neal has promised they won’t leave the premises, so I feel okay about it.”

“That’s good. And how are you feeling about your own security?”

“David and Tina both told me that Peter hasn’t mentioned my name once. He’s blaming Greg Mendel for being the one to tip off the cops to their location. Apparently Greg has gone missing since everything happened. David thinks I shouldn’t have anything to worry about, but I am taking some self defense classes. They should help with my job too.”

“What about things with Killian? Where does that stand?”

“He comes over for dinner with me and Henry every Friday night.”

“Have you talked about moving forward with him? I know that was one of your desired outcomes when we began these sessions.”

“I mean… yeah, I miss him. But I’m worried it might be too soon. He said we needed to work on our friendship and that I needed to learn I could trust him. I’m afraid if I try and resume our relationship now, he’ll think it’s too soon and he might walk away from me.”

“Emma,” Archie said, setting his notepad on the coffee table and leaning forward, “I haven’t met Killian yet, but from what you tell me, I get the impression you’d have to do something egregious to get him to walk away from you. That being said, you might want to invite him to join you in one of these sessions.”

“I can do that?” she asked with wide eyes.

Archie smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling behind his glasses. “Of course. These are your sessions. I am here to help you work through your struggles and reach your goals. I think it might be beneficial to have Killian here to focus on your relationship. You have made wonderful progress in these few short weeks.”

“What would we talk about?”

“Well, I have found it can be useful for a couple to have a neutral third party in the room. I can help serve as a mediator and to direct the conversation. We’d likely begin by talking about what each of you want, and then we’d let the discussion continue from there.

“Would I need to schedule a separate session?”

“Why don’t you ask him to join you during our regular session next week?”

Emma’s face lit up in a smile. “Okay, I can do that.”

“One other suggestion, if I may. Henry will be with his father Saturday night, correct?”

“Yeah.”

“Why don’t you plan a date with Killian for that evening? All your interactions lately have been buffered by the presence of your son, but you need to learn how to be alone with Killian once more.”

“A date? But… we wouldn’t go on a date unless we were back together.”

“Not necessarily. I know you’ve had some bad experiences, but dating can be wonderful, apart from any physical intimacy. Don’t go with an end goal of sex in mind. You told me your relationship with Killian progressed quickly, and there wasn’t much time to simply date. So take that time now. Do something outside of the house, limit yourselves on alcohol, and just focus on enjoying time together.”

Emma smiled at Archie. They continued their session this way, and when she left the office, her heart felt lighter. Killian would be coming over for dinner tomorrow, and she was going to ask him out then.

* * *

Friday the 13th was never a fun time for Killian. Teaching an entry-level course for undergraduates often meant having to deal with pranks from young people experiencing their first taste of adulthood. It was especially difficult to deal with this Friday, as it was October and the fraternities were testing their new pledges. Storybrooke University had cracked down on many fraternity traditions in recent years, in response to all the hazing scandals in the news, but they underestimated the ingenuity of young men to find new ways to torment those younger than them.

And that was how he found himself on edge all day long, as he walked through the campus and was accosted by young men in bloodied hockey masks and ghostly costumes. The pranks themselves were mostly harmless, but Killian had never enjoyed horror movies and his nerves were starting to fray. He ended up calling it a day early to head home and finish paperwork in the quiet safety of his apartment.

As he walked into the building, he ran into Ruby, stepping off the elevator.

“Hey you!” she said as she caught his eye.

“Lady Lucas,” he replied with a smile. “How are you?”

“Doing great! Things are going good at the Inn. How about you?”

“I’m well, as well as I can be. Today was rather trying on campus, but on the whole I have no complaints.”

“Trying?”

“Aye. Fraternity pledges getting an early start on Halloween.”

“Ugh, I can see why you’re worn out. How is everything else going? Still hanging out with Emma?”

“Yes. We’ve been having weekly meals with Henry. Tonight will be another.”

“When do you think you’ll get back together officially?”

“Well, it’s not really something we’ve discussed.”

“Oh damn. I was hoping you might be back together before next weekend.”

“Why next weekend?”

“I’m throwing a surprise party for Emma’s birthday at the Inn. I’ve reserved the whole place. We’re having dinner and then I thought we could do some party games and some drinking. And I’m offering a room to anyone who wants to stay over.”

“That sounds like quite the soiree. I’d love to attend, even if not as Emma’s date.”

“Well of course you’re invited,” she replied with a smirk.

“I’ll be glad to be there- oh bollocks!” he said, throwing up his hands.

“What?”

“My brother Liam is in town next weekend.”

“Did you guys already have other plans?”

“Nothing firm. He just likes to drop by for a few days whenever he is in the States for work.”

“So bring him along!”

Killian smiled at Ruby. “Thank you. I think I will.” He scratched behind his ear. “I don’t suppose you are free tomorrow, are you?”

“No, I gotta work. Why, what’s up?”

“I’m playing at the Rabbit Hole.”

“Really? That’s incredible. Congratulations!”

“Thank you, milady. It’s been a long time since I performed in public, but I am very excited for it.”

“I’m sure you’ll do great.” She looked at her watch. “I’ve gotta go. But I’ll text you the details about the party.”

“I look forward to it.”

“Tell Emma I said hello. And don't spoil the surprise!”

He smiled at her. “You have my word.”

* * *

Staring in the bathroom mirror, Emma carefully arranged her hair and touched up her makeup. Killian was on his way over, and she was taking a little more time on her appearance tonight, trying to calm her nerves for what she wanted to ask him.

There was knock at her door, and she let out one last deep breath. Before she could leave her room, she heard Henry’s enthusiastic cry of “I’ll get it!” She quickened her pace and stopped him before he got to the door.

“I’ve got it,” she said, giving him a pointed look. Even after all he’d been through, he seemed to have trouble with basic security concepts, such as letting a grown up answer the door.

She opened the door to find Killian standing there, looking as incredibly handsome as he always did. He wore a bright blue button down that made his eye color pop and soft jeans that fit him a bit tighter than his usual attire.

He cocked an eyebrow at her curiously, and she realized she must have been standing there staring at him for too long. “Swan?” he asked, the corners of his mouth pulling in a little smirk.

“Hi,” she breathed, opening the door wider and gesturing for him to come in. She longed to tell him how good he looked, but bit her tongue.

“Killy!” Henry cried, running up and slamming into the man’s legs. Killian reached down and hugged Henry, patting him lightly on the back.

“How are you today, my lad?”

“My mom said we can have pizza! Do you want pizza?!”

“I’d love pizza. What’s your favorite topping?”

“Peperoni! With mushrooms.”

“That sounds delicious.”

They settled into their normal routine, ordering dinner and finding a kid friendly movie on Netflix. After eating, Henry’s head was drooping, so Emma told him to go get ready for bed. Killian stood up to leave, as was their usual course of action, but Emma touched his arm to stop him.

“Would you mind hanging out while I get him to bed? I’d like to talk to you about something.”

“Of course, Swan.” He flashed her one of his brilliant smiles.

She got Henry off to sleep without trouble, and then returned to the living room. Every time she saw Killian sitting there, she couldn’t help but think of all the things that happened in their relationship on that very couch. Their first kiss. Their first… sexual act. She flushed at the memory.

Killian saw her staring again. “Are you okay, love?”

“Yeah,” she replied, clearing her throat and taking the seat next to him. She tilted her body to face him. “I want to ask you something. Well… two things, actually.”

“Okay,” he responded, giving her space to continue.

“First, I’ve been seeing a therapist, Archie- Dr. Hopper, that is.”

“I’m glad to hear that, Emma.”

“Thanks. I’m telling you because Archie knows one of my goals is to be a better person for you.”

“Swan, that’s not what I meant when I-”

“I know, just let me finish, okay?”

“Alright,” he said, lowering his chin and giving her an earnest stare.

“So, Archie suggested that it might help to have you join the next session. To help us communicate better.”

“I’d be glad to do that with you. I think it’s a great idea.”

“You do?” she asked, her lips turning up in a small grin.

“I do. When is the session?”

“Thursday at 3:00.”

“I can make that work. I look forward to it.”

She smiled and stared in his eyes, green meeting blue. She was lost in his gaze, thinking about how much she loved this man.

“What was the other thing?”

“Huh?” she asked, shaking her head and refocusing.

“You said you had two things to ask me.”

“Oh yes. Um, so, the other question is… Will you go out with me? Tomorrow? To… dinner or something?”

“Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that?”

She chuckled. “I should have figured you’d be old-fashioned about this, considering how much older than me you are.”

“I might have 11 years more life experience, my dear Swan, but as you can see, I’ve retained my youthful glow.” He gestured to his physique and winked at her playfully. “I will happily accept, on one condition.”

“Oh yeah, what’s that?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.

“Part of the evening involves you being in the audience while I am on stage at the Rabbit Hole.”

“You have a gig tomorrow?” she forgot her inhibitions and jumped up, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. “That’s wonderful! I’m so proud of you,” she said, her mouth mere inches from his neck.

He hugged her back, and they stayed like that for a moment, reveling in one another’s scents. Finally she pulled back and resumed her seat next to him.

“Thank you,” he said, taking her hand in his. “Why don’t we have dinner together beforehand, and after my set we can enjoy some of the other acts while we have a drink?”

“Sounds perfect,” she replied, squeezing his fingers.

* * *

Killian took a quick sip from his water bottle before setting it down on the stool next to him. He’d just finished setting up and was taking a moment to center himself. Rather than playing solo, he’d partnered with some other musicians for this performance. They weren’t anything close to a band, but he had fun with them and was looking forward to seeing the crowd’s reaction. They played mostly classic rock songs, with a few newer tunes thrown in. Killian shared responsibility for vocals with another man, Trevor.

“Good evening,” Trevor began. “Welcome to the Rabbit Hole. We’re The Pirates.”

Killian smiled at their band name, chosen only a week ago when the bar owner informed them she needed a name to advertise. He met Emma’s eyes at the table she occupied, near the stage, and saw her mirroring his smirk. Her frequent nickname for him had more than a little influence on his suggestion.

They launched into their first song, an upbeat tune to get the crowd warmed up. They were engaged to play 30 minutes, and only one song was of a slower tempo. He and Trevor traded off songs, and when they reached the end of their set, Killian paused a moment before his last turn.

“I chose this next song in honor of someone very special to me.” He once again met Emma’s gaze. Her brow was furrowed in confusion. He had not told her he was dedicating a song to her.

He started playing the intro, and Trevor accompanied him, whistling the melody into his microphone. Killian flashed one more smile to Emma as he began singing.

“Shed a tear 'cause I'm missin' you  
I'm still alright to smile  
Girl, I think about you every day now.”

He held her gaze as he kept singing. Her eyes were misty, but she continued to smile. He took that as a good sign and launched into the chorus.

“Said, woman, take it slow,  
It'll work itself out fine,  
All we need is just a little patience.  
Said, sugar, make it slow,  
And we come together fine,  
All we need is just a little patience.”

She smiled through the remainder of the song, and Killian felt his heart swell. He was worried she wouldn’t take the surprise well. It had been a last minute request to add it to their set. He’d been waiting for her to make a move, to change the stasis they’d been in for the last six weeks. Her requests from the prior day, to have him join a therapy session and to have a date, emboldened him to make a gesture. He’d thought long and hard about the song. He and the boys had only rehearsed ‘Patience’ once before today, and he wasn’t sure how they would sound. But his nerves were all for naught. The performance went well, and they were met with loud applause.

Trevor thanked the crowd, and they began packing up their gear as quickly as possible, making room for the next act. Killian settled his guitar down by the side of the small stage and stepped over to the table. He leaned in close to Emma.

“Can you order me a beer, love? I’ll go put my gear in the car and join you again shortly.”

“Sure,” she replied with a tiny grin. He leaned over and kissed her lightly on the cheek, feeling the apple curve up as her smile grew.

He moved as quickly as possible to get his guitar put away and returned to the table. There was still time before the next band went on, so he took advantage of the relative quiet to speak with her.

“Did you enjoy the performance?”

“I did,” she replied. “Although that last song was a bit of a surprise. You did mean me when you said someone special, right?”

He smiled shyly. “Aye,” he responded, stilling his hands by wrapping them around his bottle of beer.

“I liked it,” she replied, placing her hand on the table next to his arm.

He took the obvious hint and grabbed her hand in his own. “It was difficult to find a song that matched the current stage of our relationship.”

“And what is that stage?” she asked, lowering her chin and looking up at him through her lashes.

“I think we are rediscovering our friendship. Building our trust in one another.”

“I do. Trust you, that is. I’m sorry-”

“Emma, you don’t need to apologize.”

“I know,” she replied. “But I want to. I know I hurt you. And I’m sorry for doing that. I should have confided in you.”

He looked over at her and gave her a wide smile, his hair falling in his eyes. She reached up and pushed it away. He caught her other hand as she lowered it, and threaded their fingers together. “I’ve forgiven you, Emma. I only want to make you happy.”

“I know.”

They stayed that way, holding hands and looking into each other’s eyes while the next band struck up their set. When a slower tempo song came on, he released her hands and stood up. “Dance with me?” he asked.

She eyed him warily. “No one else is dancing.”

“Then we’ll show them how it’s done.” He cocked an eyebrow in a silent challenge and held out his hand to her.

Emma took his hand and stood, letting him lead her to the dance floor. Killian encircled her waist with his arms and Emma put her hands on his shoulders. They started slowly swaying to the music, wrapped up in each other’s eyes. After a moment, Killian began softly singing along.

“Well, I found a woman, stronger than anyone I know.  
She shares my dreams, I hope that someday I'll share her home.”

“Do you mean it?” She asked when the song came to an interlude. She looked up at him with misty eyes. “That you want to share a home with me?”

“I do,” he replied, swallowing the sudden lump in his throat. “I never meant for our break to be a permanent thing. I simply wanted us to take a step back. I’ll admit that I got a bit paralyzed once we did it. I was afraid to make a move. I wanted to let you lead.”

“I’m glad you did.” Emma pushed up on her toes and captured his lips with her own in a sweet, gentle kiss. The contact only lasted a beat before she lowered herself and rested her head on his chest, her hand over his heart. They stayed that way for the remainder of the song. When it ended, they returned to their table, but Emma seemed to have other plans in mind. “Should we get out of here?” she asked with hooded eyes.

Killian took a breath to steel himself. “I would love to, but before we do, can we talk about what comes next?”

“Oh,” she replied, looking a little deflated. “Okay.”

He grabbed her hand and lifted it to his lips, placing a soft kiss on her knuckles. He then stood, keeping ahold of her hand as he placed a few bills on the table for their drinks. She grabbed her purse and they stepped outside. Killian led them to her car and leaned against it, taking Emma in his arms once more. He gently rubbed her back as he met her gaze. “I want to take our time, darling, before we get back to our prior level of intimacy. I want to be able to properly court you.”

She chuckled. “Court me? Like in Jane Austen?”

“Well,” he said with a smile. “Perhaps not that formal, but I would like to have more dates with you before we settle back into our routine.”

“Huh…” she said, with a furrowed brow. “Archie said something about that at our last session. About how dating without focusing on sex can be a wonderful experience.”

“I like this Archie. I look forward to meeting him next week.”

Emma smiled up at him. “I’ve never had the time to just date someone.”

“If I’m being truthful, neither have I.”

“You haven’t?” Her eyes went wide as she contemplated that.

“No. I didn’t date when I was enlisted, nor when Liam and I were traveling. And I went on a couple dates after I came to Boston, but nothing went beyond a casual encounter until Milah. And our relationship was more about clandestine meetings, up until Robert found out.”

“Oh. So… I guess this is a new experience for both of us.”

“I believe it is.” He smiled down at her and tightened his grip on her waist, pulling her closer to him. “So what shall we do next time?”

“Next time?” she said, her voice flirty. “I don’t remember asking.”

He continued to smile as he said “That’s because it’s my turn.” His then expression became serious, looking at her with awe. “Will you go out with me again?”

She considered him for a moment before lifting up once more to meet his mouth with her own. He leaned forward to close the gap quicker and took her bottom lip between his own. She reciprocated, pressing in and tangling their tongues. His hands lifted to hold firmly onto her back before his left hand traveled further and tangled in her hair. They continued until his lungs were crying with the need for air and he pulled away, resting his forehead against hers.

She took a deep breath before breaking the silence with a breathy “okay.” She looked up at him and pulled away ever so slightly. “I should get going before I do something that wouldn’t be proper at this stage of our courtship.”

He smiled back and lifted his hand to her cheek, caressing the apple with his thumb. “Yes,” he said, his voice a near whisper. “I am afraid I won’t be able to hold onto my resolve for much longer.” He leaned forward once more and pressed a gentle peck to her lips before releasing his hold on her body.

Emma turned to walk to her driver’s side door. Killian followed and opened it for her. She moved to take her seat, but then she turned her head to look over her shoulder. “Goodnight Killian,” she said, her voice sweet and shy.

“Goodnight,” he replied, his lips still tingling. He watched Emma get in her vehicle and drive off, his heart soaring.

* * *

The following Thursday found Killian sitting next to Emma on a worn, but well cared for brown leather sofa. Emma was obviously nervous, as they sat across from this Archie, who was an older man with pale skin, red curly hair, and kind eyes tucked behind thick glasses. He smiled proudly at them before clearing his throat to begin the session.

“So, Killian, thank you for making time to be here today.”

“I’m happy to do it,” Killian replied, taking Emma’s hand in his own. He turned his head to look upon his love fondly before turning back to the doctor. Emma gave him a shy smile in return and clung to his hand a little more tightly.

“Emma, you seem to be nervous today,” Archie said.

“I… um…” she swallowed thickly. “Yes, maybe a little.”

“Why do you think that is?”

“Well, I think I always get a little nervous at these sessions, but having Killian here makes it more… magnified.”

Killian opened his mouth to respond, but Archie caught his eye and held up a hand, staying his words. “What about having Killian here makes you more nervous than usual?”

Emma remained silent for a moment before finally looking up. “I’m worried he’s going to find out something about me he doesn’t like.”

Killian could not hold his tongue at this remark. “Swan, there is nothing you could say or do to make me like you less.”

Emma opened her mouth to reply and then immediately snapped it shut. She freed her hand from Killian's grasp and turned to face him. “Stop saying that,” she barked in a bitter tone. “You always say things like that, but that's not something you can promise.”

Archie jumped in before Killian could respond. “Why do you say that, Emma?”

She took a deep breath and looked away from the both of them. When she spoke, her voice was choked as she continued staring off into the distance. “I’ve never been enough for anyone. Not my parents, not any of my foster families, not for the father of my child. It’s only a matter of time before I let Killian down and he walks away.”

Killian was silent after her outburst, but Archie was inexplicably smiling.

“Emma,” the therapist said after a moment, “I believe you just had a breakthrough.”

“What?” she asked as she turned back to look at him, tears shimmering in her eyes.

“I think we’ve found the root cause of your unwillingness to trust Killian. You are trying to protect yourself.”

“I am?”

“Yes,” Archie said, leaning forward in his chair. “You have a lifetime of experience of being left behind. You blame yourself for these circumstances. Now, I can tell you, and Killian can tell you, that it is not your fault, but until you believe it, you will always live your life waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

“Emma,” Killian said, grabbing her hand again and bringing it to his lips. He planted a small kiss on her knuckles before continuing. “I would rather die than do anything to hurt you.”

A lone tear ran down Emma’s cheek and she sniffled. “Why can’t I believe that? What’s wrong with me?”

“There is nothing wrong with you, Emma,” Archie said. “We are molded by our life experiences. And the mind, at its core, is focused on survival. Your life experience has taught you to be self-sufficient over all other things, and for a long time that probably served you well. It is likely the only thing that protected you at times and made you into the strong person you are today. But it is an inflexible urge. You have learned to be mistrustful, and no one can blame you for that. We have to teach your mind now to see nuance in these situations. It’s not something that will happen overnight, but it can be done. You can learn to trust that what Killian says is true.”

She sniffled again, but her shoulders relaxed. Archie leaned back in his chair and moved his gaze to Killian.

“Killian, what’s going through your mind right now?”

“I… I want to comfort Emma. It pains me to see her like this. I just want to protect her.”

“Then why did you leave me?” Emma asked in a near whisper.

“What?” Killian asked, turning his head to look at her with wide eyes.

“The night I got Henry back. I was relieved and I just wanted to go back to normal, but you insisted that we take this break. You told me I wasn’t enough.”

“Emma… that’s not what I said at all.”

“What was your intention that night, Killian?” Archie asked, jumping before Emma could reply.

“I…” Killian paused for a moment, considering the question, “I was hurting. Emma had been pushing me away ever since the ordeal started. I just wanted to be there for her. But first she assumed the worst when I was comforting Milah after her panic attack. And then she went off to rescue Henry without telling me anything.”

“Your reaction to those circumstances was completely understandable. You felt Emma didn’t trust you, and Emma was waiting for evidence to justify her wariness.”

“So what does that mean for this relationship?” Emma asked, releasing Killian’s hand and shifting slightly away from him on the couch.

“The very fact that you are both here means you can overcome these issues. These are not insurmountable things.” He gestured toward the other man. “Killian, I don’t know you well, but from what I’ve seen, you are a fiercely loyal person to the people you love. That kind of passion is intense. And I believe that in Emma’s experience, that kind of passion has appeared unsustainable. I’d wager to guess that she has only experienced passion like that before in small doses.”

Emma scoffed. “Try never.”

“Even more to the point,” Archie replied. “This is new and unfamiliar territory for Emma, someone who has learned to fear the unknown.”

“What can I do?” Killian asked. “How can I prove to you that I would never do anything to hurt you?”

“It’s not something for you to prove, Killian,” Archie said. “Emma has to learn to trust you, and that’s going to take time. It’s not impossible, but it won’t happen overnight. I think in the meantime you two should continue on exactly as you are.”

“How long?” Emma asked. “How long before we can be back together like we were before Henry’s birthday party?”

“What’s significant about that time?” Archie asked.

“I was really happy. Killian was over at my place almost every night, and I would fall asleep in his arms.”

“If I recall correctly,” Killian interjected, “I was waking up at 4AM every morning so I could leave before Henry awoke and learned I spent the night.”

“You said you were okay with that!” Emma said, turning to him abruptly.

“I was,” Killian responded back, raising his voice.

“If I could interject,” Archie said. “I don’t think there is a time limit that must be met before you can get back to that life. But you both have to feel comfortable with where your relationship is before you take a step like that again. Am I correct in guessing that your prior arrangement was informal?”

Emma looked at him sheepishly. “Yeah, I don’t think we really discussed it. It just… kind of… happened.”

“I think making it a more formal decision would be beneficial. I also think we should continue having Killian attend these sessions for the time being. Killian, is that something you would be amenable to?”

“Yes,” Killian replied. “I want to get back to that place as well, where we are both happy and secure in our relationship.”

“I know it doesn’t feel like it, but you’ve both made a lot of progress today,” Archie said, giving them both a wide smile.

“Thanks Archie,” Emma said.

“We still have some time, so why do we start talking about your next steps?” he asked as he picked up his notebook and leaned back in his chair. The rest of the session was focused on practical steps they could take. When Killian left, he and Emma spent several minutes just embracing one another on a bench outside of Archie’s office. While they still had work to do, he felt hopeful for their future.

* * *

Emma parked her car in front of Ruby’s Inn. She’d received a call from her best friend asking her to drop by. It was Saturday, and Henry was spending the night with Roland. Emma had tried to see if Killian was available, but he’d apologized profusely, explaining that Liam was in town and they had plans. She had resigned herself a night of takeout and Netflix when her best friend called, begging Emma to bring Ruby’s phone, which she’d left in her apartment. Now she was here, parking in the street in front of the Inn.

It was a beautiful, Victorian-style mansion that was built in 1829. It had been in Ruby’s family for several generations, but her Granny was the first one to restore it and start running it as a bed-and-breakfast. Now Granny was finally taking some time to retire, and Ruby was in charge and thriving. Emma was proud of her friend and all she’d accomplished.

She opened the door and stepped up to the small office where Ruby usually was during her shifts. No one was there, but Emma noticed a note sitting on the desk, addressed to her.

_Ems,_

_Had to run to the kitchen. You’d better come see me before you leave, or I’ll never forgive you._

_-Rubs_

Emma laughed at her friend’s words and set the note back down. She walked around the corner and toward the kitchen. The Inn was unusually quiet, which seemed very odd. This was normally the time they did cocktails for the guests, and every other time Emma had been here during this hour, there were usually at least a few people enjoying drinks in the parlor. She chalked it up to a slow weekend and continued on to the formal dining room. She noticed that the lights were out, which was very strange. Ruby never turned the lights out in any of the downstairs rooms until after 11. Not being able to see the door that led to the kitchen, Emma fumbled for the lightswitch she knew was on the wall near the entrance to the dining room. She finally found it and flipped on the lights.

“SURPRISE!” came a raucous cheer. Emma turned to see all the people she held dear, together in one room. Ruby stood next to Mary Margaret and David. Regina and Rob were there too, along with Mu, Aurora, Killian, Liam, and Milah. Emma felt happy tears well in her eyes.

“Happy birthday!” Ruby said, separating from the group and capturing Emma in a big hug.

“Thank you!” Emma cried. “What is all this?”

“I rented out the Inn for tonight so I could throw you a party,” Ruby said, gesturing to the group of people assembled in front of them.

“You didn’t have to do that!” Emma said, partly in shock and still blinking back tears.

“You know I never do anything I don’t want to,” Ruby said, giving her friend a wink.

Mary Margaret and David stepped up and both gave Emma warm hugs. After them, Killian came near, looking at her sheepishly.

“I’m sorry for deceiving you, Swan. I know that is something we both want to work on in our relationship, and I-”

“It’s okay,” she stopped him. “This was different, and it was incredible. No one has ever done anything like this for me.”

Killian smiled and wrapped his arms around her. “You deserve it, Swan.” He dropped his head and planted a soft kiss on her lips. She reciprocated, hugging his body tighter to her own.

“Alright you two. There’ll be time for that later.”

Liam’s booming voice broke her from her reverie and she pulled back from Killian quickly, feeling her face flush as she looked at his brother. She released her hold on Killian and stepped over to give Liam a quick hug. “It’s good to see you.”

“You too, lass,” Liam said with a wink.

He stepped to the side and Milah swooped in, enveloping Emma in her another hug. Emma felt her flush deepen as she thought of the kiss she and Killian had shared not a moment before. Milah seemed to think nothing of it, however, as she pulled back and looked at Emma with warm fondness. “Happy birthday, Emma.”

“Thanks. I’m really glad you’re here.”

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”

Emma released Milah and continued making her rounds, greeting all her guests. After they’d all said hello, Ruby served cocktails and appetizers. They then had a delicious meal, filled with all of Emma’s favorites, including a platter of exceptionally tasty grilled cheese sandwiches. They ended the meal with ice cream sundaes and then moved into the parlor for games.

David and Mary Margaret, who was big and pregnant and ready to give birth any day, begged off after dinner. Rob and Regina, who had left the boys with Regina’s father, likewise opted to leave, but encouraged Emma to have a great time. The rest of the party stayed and were treated to an impromptu musical performance by the Brothers Jones before settling in for several rounds of Cards Against Humanity. The drinks continued and Emma found herself with a pleasant buzz.

When the hour got late, Emma started slumping against Killian. Ruby smiled at the group. “Anyone who wants to stay the night is welcome to take a room. They’re all unlocked. Just grab one. I only ask that you help me clean them up in the morning.”

Mu and Aurora stood and made their way to the stairs, giggling and holding hands. Dorothy stood and held her hand out to Ruby. Ruby took her girlfriend’s hand and then looked back at Emma. “You gonna be okay?” she asked.

“Yes,” Emma replied, snuggling closer into Killian.

“I’ll look after her,” Killian replied.

Ruby smiled. She and Dorothy collected the empty glasses from the room before taking their leave.

That left Emma, Killian, Liam, and Milah in the room. Killian rubbed Emma’s back. “I think I should get this one to bed.”

“Will you stay with me?” Emma asked.

“Aye, if that’s what you wish.”

Emma noticed him eyeing something warily and lifted her head to see what he was looking at. She saw him staring at Milah and was immediately overcome with shame. “I’m so sorry!” she cried as she looked at the other woman.

Milah smiled beautifically. “Don’t be. I’ve said this before, but I will repeat it again. I am happy for you both. You don't need to feel guilty on my account. Go get some rest.”

“Will you be alright?” Killian asked.

“As long as this one keeps on his best behavior,” she replied teasingly as she placed a hand on Liam’s knee.

Liam smiled at Milah before turning his head back to his brother. “Goodnight brother. Goodnight Emma.”

Killian nodded and stood, with Emma tucked into his side, taking her up the stairs to find an empty room. Arriving at the first one available, Emma stepped in and fell onto the bed without ceremony. Killian removed her shoes before pulling down the covers and encouraging her to slip under. Before deciding to comply, Emma unbuttoned her jeans and wiggled out of them. Killian likewise removed his shoes and jeans before sliding in beside her. He pulled her body to him, nestling her back against his chest.

“Killian,” Emma said, her voice thick with sleep.

“Yes?”

“I love you.”

He smiled into her hair and kissed the back of her head. “I love you too.”

They both sighed contentedly before falling into a deep sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Killian plays for Emma is “Patience” by Guns N’ Roses. The song he sings when they are dancing is “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran.


	21. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s finally here! Apologies for the delay in getting this posted. I was truly swamped with work, but I think another part of me was putting off finishing this because I didn’t want this journey to be over. Writing this story has been a true joy for me, and I do a little happy dance every time I see someone commenting or reblogging and telling me they are enjoying it as well. I will miss working on CF. Thank you all for coming along this journey with me.
> 
> For those of you avoiding the more explicit passages, there is some smut in this chapter, after the second section break (horizontal line) which starts with "the move was exhausting." If you don't want to read that, you can skip that passage and move onto the next.

Epilogue:

Emma’s birthday was a turning point for she and Killian. The continued their sessions with Archie and weekly dinners with Henry. They also tried to fit in at least one outing a week with just the two of them, even if it was only to share lunch. They celebrated Christmas together, with Killian helping Emma to assemble Henry’s new bicycle after the lad went to sleep. The morning was spent opening presents before having dinner at Rob and Regina’s. On New Year’s Eve they celebrated with sparkling cider and a kid-friendly celebration at 7pm in Emma’s living room. After Henry went to bed they tried to stay awake until midnight, but ended up falling asleep next to one another on the couch. Killian thought it was the perfect way to start the new year.

Everything was going great, until life threw them an unexpected curveball in mid-January.

“I have to move,” Killian huffed as he stormed into Emma’s apartment.

“Hello to you too,” she said, closing the door and coming closer. “And what are you talking about?”

“Sorry,” he replied as he gathered her in his arms and gave her a sweet kiss. “I didn’t mean to barge in here like this, but I needed to talk to you.”

“It’s okay.” She brushed an errant strand of hair from his forehead. “Why do you have to move?”

“The bloke I’m subletting from, Will, is returning to the States. He left a while ago to help a friend, and now he is home and needs to re-occupy his flat.”

“Oh,” Emma said, unsure of how to reply.

“I knew this was only a temporary arrangement. I’d just so enjoyed living close to you that I kept putting off finding a more permanent situation. And now I’ve gone and gotten myself in a bind.”

“When is he coming back?”

“He’s asked me to be out by the end of next month, so I’ve got a little time. I am sure I can find another place. I’m just upset because I will miss seeing you and Henry so frequently.”

“So why don’t you move in with us?” Emma asked.

“What?” Killian replied, stunned at her suggestion.

“Well, it makes the most sense, Killian. We spend a lot of time together anyway.”

“I wouldn’t want to impose, Swan.”

“It’s not an imposition if I'm the one suggesting it. Besides, I am sure having you around will only make my life easier. Let’s face it; you’re a much better cook than I am.”

He smiled at her. “And you don’t think it’s too soon?”

“We’ve been dating for eight months. It’s a natural progression.”

“Well, as long as you are sure, Swan. Though, let’s talk to Henry before we make a final decision. I want to make sure the lad is comfortable with this.”

“Sure, we can do that, but I can already tell you his response will probably just be ‘that’s awesome!’”

Killian chuckled. “Even so, I’d like to ask him.”

Emma was right, of course. Henry thought Killian moving in was an awesome idea. Unfortunately, they didn’t account for how unfit the space was for three people living there full time. Even though Killian didn’t have many clothes, the closet was not large enough to house both his and Emma’s wardrobes. And the one bathroom became much more crowded with an extra person’s toiletries taking up the already limited counter space. They tried to make the best of it, but after 4 months, they decided to look for a bigger place.

Emma was ecstatic, having never before had the luxury of taking her time to select a new living space. They ended up finding a townhouse, bluish-gray with white trim, three bedrooms, a finished basement, and a converted loft space in the attic. It was everything Emma dreamed of as a child. There was a white picket fence around the front yard and a small backyard space that would allow them to finally set up Henry’s soccer set once more. And, as an added bonus, Mary Margaret and David were only a mile away.

Buying a home together revealed to Killian how badly he wanted to take the next step in his relationship with Emma. He’d purchased a ring shortly after moving in with her, but had been struggling to find the best time to propose. The moment never seemed right, and he wasn’t entirely sure she’d be open to it. It still felt a bit soon for him. But he knew he wanted to make this commitment to her before they finalized the house sale.

He came home early one day, a week before their closing date, and was surprised to find Emma there.

“Emma?” he asked. “What are you doing home?”

She came out of the bedroom, running up to him and giving him a tender kiss. “I had an easy case today and it wrapped up early. I thought I’d take advantage and get some packing done. What are you doing home?”

He blinked slowly and shook his head slightly. “A similar situation, actually. Listen, I’m glad you’re here. I wanted to talk to you about something.” He grabbed her hand in his and looked to the floor. “What I need to discuss with you… it’s not easy, and I’m not entirely sure how you’ll react.” He gathered his strength and looked up to meet her gaze.

“Well,” she replied, tilting her head slightly and turning her body in toward his. “Maybe I can make it easier and tell you that my response would be yes?”

He was thrown off guard by her words and forgot the topic of conversation entirely. He looked at her in confusion. “Yes. I… what was the question?”

She released his hand and looked chastised, shrinking back from him slightly. “I might have found something in your nightstand that I shouldn’t have.” She held up her other hand and showed him the ring, pinched between her thumb and index finger: a 1.5 carat diamond in a white gold solitaire setting.

He laughed then and brought his hand up to take the ring from her. “I’ve been waiting for the right moment, Swan. I just never thought you’d be the one to make it happen.” His right hand gripped the ring, while his left floated up to cradle her cheek. “Emma… I know we haven’t been together very long, but ever since I met you I have been pulled to you. I know we face an uncertain future, but one thing I want you to be certain of is that I will always, always, be by your side. So, Emma Swan,” he said, sinking to one knee and holding the ring aloft. “What do you say? Will you marry me?”

Tears flooded Emma’s eyes, and she lowered to her own knees to be eye level with him. She rested her hands on his shoulders as she leaned in and whispered “yes.” Then, lifting her hands to his face, she surged forward, capturing his mouth in a sweet yet passionate kiss. They kissed deeply for a moment before breaking apart and resting their foreheads together. Emma released a happy sob before pulling apart to look him in the eyes. Killian took that moment to slide the ring onto her finger. It was a perfect fit.

* * *

Emma was content to get married as soon as possible in a courthouse ceremony. She didn’t want to waste a moment of her new life with Killian. Unfortunately, one look at the diamond put Ruby Lucas and Mary Margaret Nolan immediately into wedding planning mode, and they would hear no objection from the couple.

“Of course you’re going to have the wedding at the Inn. I’m thinking a later afternoon or early evening ceremony,” Ruby began one day when Emma was having lunch with her friends. “Twilight would be so beautiful. You can say your vows in the backyard under the big oak tree.”

“Oh!” Mary Margaret joined in. “We can string up fairy lights in the branches. And Emma, you have to wear your hair down. It would look so beautiful in soft ringlets. And Ava could be your flower girl!”

“Ava isn’t even walking yet,” Emma said with a laugh as she reached over to smooth the soft hair on the head of Mary Margaret and David’s 8 month old daughter.

“I could carry her! Or you could wait until next summer. Wouldn’t it be so adorable to see her toddling down the aisle?” Ava cooed as her mother cradled her face and peppered her chubby cheeks with kisses.

“I will not deny how adorable that would be, but I don’t want to wait a year. Killian and I are buying a house together. I don’t want to live in some limbo waiting for a fairytale wedding. I just want to marry the man I love and settle down together.”

Mary Margaret teared up at her friend’s words, depositing the baby in her high chair and leaning over to give Emma a hug. “I am so happy to hear you talk like that!” She was blubbering so loud that Emma was afraid they might be asked to leave the restaurant. But she was also touched by her friend’s words, so she gave a watery smile and returned the hug.

As they pulled apart, Mary Margaret sniffled and wiped under her eyes. “But you’re not getting out of having a wedding that easy,” she said, giving her friend a steely gaze.

Emma groaned in response. She could not talk her friends out of their plans and expressed her frustrations to Killian that evening.

“They weren’t even listening to me! I don’t need all that fanfare.”

“Love,” Killian said, taking her hand in his, “I am so honored to hear you say that, but I also want you to have a day to celebrate you. We don’t need to do quite as fancy of an affair, but we should do something to mark the occasion.”

“But I don’t want to wait for that! I want to marry you now. I want to start our future  _now_.”

“I want the same, Swan.” Killian smiled at his love and leaned in to kiss her tenderly. “I have an idea of how we can appease them while still giving you what you want.”

“And what’s that?” Emma asked with a tilt of her head and a lift of her brow.

“Let’s go get a license and do the courthouse ceremony now, and we can still have the official wedding later on.”

Emma’s face broke into a huge grin. “That’s perfect!” She leaned over and wrapped her arms around Killian’s neck, knocking him back on the couch. He pulled her down with him and captured her mouth in a searing kiss. They lost themselves for a moment in their fevered passion, and might have gone further, had Henry not chosen that moment to exit his room and beg for a glass of water.

Killian and Emma were married on a Thursday afternoon at Boston City Hall. Rob and Regina served as their witnesses. After the ceremony, they spent a beautiful wedding night at a fancy hotel, before waking up early on Friday to close on their house. They spent the rest of the weekend moving into the new place. They promised each other they would have a proper honeymoon after their ‘real’ wedding took place.

* * *

The move was exhausting. Even with the few possessions they owned, the effort to get everything out of the old building, into the truck, out of the truck, and into the new house made Killian feel his age all the more keenly. He was sore in places he didn’t even know could be sore. Emma had expressed a similar level of tiredness, and they’d collapsed on their bed the Saturday night after their marriage, each falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Emma had never been a morning person. Sure, a rather active son had forced her to endure more than a few early wake-ups, but if given the choice, she would always choose extra time to sleep over getting a jump on the day. This tendency, combined with her exhaustion from the previous day, led to a great deal of confusion for Killian the following morning, when she was up before sunrise and doing her damnedest to awaken him in the most sinful manner possible.

“Swan…” Killian groaned as she worked her way down his body, capturing his swollen cock in her small hand and giving it a few pumps.

“Can’t call me that anymore…” She sing-songed, not letting up.

He growled and hooked his arm under her shoulder, depositing her next to him as he used his other hand to disengage the one she had still wrapped around his erection. Once he removed it, he pinned her arms above her head and pressed her body into the mattress before attacking her mouth with his own. Her lips parted to take in a shaky breath, and he exploited the opening to tease her with his tongue in before abruptly pulling away. She looked up at him, cheeks flushed and fire in her eyes, and wiggled in an attempt to escape from his clutches.

“Minx,” he whispered, adjusting the hold on her wrists.

“What are you gonna go about it, pirate?” she challenged, thrusting her chest up to meet his own.

“Are you sure you want to do this now, Swan?” he asked, pausing to look at her with a raised brow. “Henry might come in and catch us.”

“It’s early, and he sleeps like the dead,” she replied, moving her hips and clenching her thighs together in a desperate attempt to release some pressure. He took pity on her and moved his free hand over her ridiculously tiny sleep shorts to massage her center. She let out a breathy sigh and threw her head back. “And stop calling me Swan,” she repeated. “That’s not my name anymore.”

“Apologies, Mrs. Jones,” he replied, lifting his hand long enough remove the shorts and her underwear before returning to his prior task, now unimpeded. “But,” he continued as he bent down to nibble at her neck, still not releasing her hands, “you will always be Swan to me.”

“I don’t care what you call me. Just don’t stop doing that,” she sighed as her hips began to move in tandem with the motion of his fingers.

He slid two digits inside her waiting heat, pumping slowly at first, while his thumb found her clit. He increased the pressure and added a third finger, working her into a frenzy in an embarrassingly short amount of time. Her breath quickened and she moaned, making no attempt to moderate her volume. Killian said a silent prayer of thanks that their new house had the master bedroom at the opposite end of the hall from Henry’s bedroom. He continued his pace, still kissing and sucking at her neck until she crested, making delicious squeals and moans that had him hard as a rock. He brought her down slowly, still thrusting his fingers lightly until she lifted her head and grabbed his earlobe in between her teeth.

“I need you inside me, Mr. Jones,” she whispered, before emitting a low moan as he lightly grazed her oversensitive bud with his index finger.

Not needing to be told twice, Killian released his hold on her arms, crawling on top of her and sliding home as quickly as possible. “Oh!” Emma moaned, “it feels sooooo fucking good when you fill me up like that.” She was not as vocal in bed as he was, and hearing the filthy words spilling from her mouth now spurred him on. He began thrusting in and out of her tight sheath, his cock glistening with the juices from her first orgasm.

“Always so wet for me,” he said, straightening his back and lifting one of her legs to his shoulder. The new angle hit her just right, and he could feel her walls quivering as they built up quickly to another release. He knew he wouldn’t last much longer, and he wanted to feel her come along with him. Emma told him he was a generous lover, but in truth the fluttering motion felt amazing to him and intensified his own orgasm. He increased the pace and brought his thumb back to her nub, finding the hood and rubbing under it just how she liked.

“Oh shit, I’m gonna come again!” Emma cried, as she turned her head and used the pillow to muffle her screams. She came hard, and the squeezing sensation was all it took to send Killian over the edge. He thrust hard and deep several times, groaning as hot jets of cum bathed her inner walls.

He collapsed on top of her, resting his sweaty head on her chest and breathing hard. She wrapped her arms around his body, pulling him tighter to her, before combing her fingers through his damp hair.

“Good morning, Mr. Jones,” she said after a minute.

“Good morning to you, Mrs. Jones,” Killian replied with a laugh.

* * *

Life continued on, and everything was almost perfect. Almost, because Emma was becoming increasingly frustrated with wedding planning.

“I didn’t even want this damn thing! Why is it so frustrating? Let’s just call it off. We’re already married. We don’t need to do this!”

These tirades had become a near daily occurrence. Killian set aside the paper he was grading and turned to look at his wife. “What happened, my love?”

She flushed. “You’re going to think I’m stupid.”

“I promise I will not. Tell me and we will try to make it better.”

“The dress shop just called me. The dress I’d picked out has been discontinued and they don’t have it in stock anymore. I knew I should have just bought it when we were there! Why did I want to wait?”

Killian took her hands in his own and held her gaze while taking some deep breaths and encouraging her to do the same. Once she seemed more settled, he continued. “Did they offer you any other options?”

“Well, of course they wanted to try and sell me another dress, for twice as much as the one I’d picked out.”

“We can probably afford a bit of a price increase. If it is truly the dress you want.”

“I refuse to spend that much money on a dress I’m only going to wear once. And besides, I don’t like any of the others. I loved  _that_ dress, Killian.”

“Can we find it online?”

“Yeah, maybe, but there’s not much of a chance we’d get it this close to the day. And let’s not forget about alterations.” She broke down in tears at that moment. “What are we going to do?”

Killian reached over and rubbed his wife’s back slowly until her sobs abated and her breathing slowed. “Have you called Milah?”

“What? No way! I can’t ask her to help me find a dress!”

“Why not? Milah has a knack for finding vintage pieces, and she has also designed several wedding dresses, hasn’t she?”

“But you’re her ex! I can’t ask her to help me find a dress so I can marry her ex.”

“We’re already married. And isn’t she dating some mystery man? Give her a call. She will tell you if she isn’t comfortable with the request.

Emma bit her lip and considered his suggestion. She eventually settled that she would call Milah, but decided to make it a more general conversation to catch up.

 _“Emma!”_ Milah’s bright voice was cheerful when she answered the call.  _“How are you? It’s been awhile since we spoke.”_

“I’m good,” Emma replied. “It’s been busy, but good. How about you?”

_“Things have been incredible! It’s been crazy, but I am in an entirely different place than when you found me last year, and I couldn’t be happier.”_

“Yeah?”

_“Yes. The shop is still doing well, but I am hardly there anymore. I’ve been to runway shows in New York and London, and there is an up and coming Fashion House in New York that I’m in talks with about designing a bridal line.”_

“Really? Congratulations! That’s incredible! Did you meet them at a runway show?”

_“Thank you! No, one of my clients knows the head designer, and when he saw her wedding pictures, he asked to be introduced to the person that designed her gown. It’s been a whirlwind. I still can’t believe this is my life!”_

“I’m so glad to hear you’re doing so well.”

 _“I am,”_ Milah replied.  _“How’s married life treating you?”_

“You heard about that?” Emma squeaked, feeling her heart rate pick up.

_“Liam mentioned it.”_

“You’ve been talking to Liam?”

_“Oh… um… yes. We caught up when I was last in London.”_

“Oh. Okay. Well… married life is... good. It's good,” Emma replied, laughing nervously.

 _“But…?”_  Milah said, encouraging her to continue.

“Oh, well, nothing like that. Killian is wonderful.” Emma emitted another anxious chuckle. “I am just regretting agreeing to have an actual wedding. It’s been so stressful trying to decide on all the details. And now I’ve had an issue with my dress.”

_“What happened with your dress?”_

“I had one picked out that wasn’t too ornate or expensive, but I didn’t buy it, and now it’s been discontinued. And the ceremony is in two weeks and I’m gonna have to walk down the aisle in jeans now!” Emma bit her tongue to stop herself and wiped at the tears in the corners of her eyes.

_“Why didn’t you come to me sooner? I could have made you something!”_

“I didn’t want to bother you,” Emma replied, feeling her cheeks flare. “And it’s still a little awkward, you know…”

_“You are family, Emma. You are not a bother. Listen, when can you come by the shop? I’ve got a few pieces that I could probably alter for you. We can find you something that will be perfect.”_

“Are you sure?” Emma asked. “It’s not too weird?”

_“How many times do I have to tell you that I’m okay with this situation? Had you not come into my life, I would not be where I am now. I have no regrets. Now, when can you come by?”_

Emma breathed a sigh of relief. “I can come by tomorrow afternoon. Is that too soon?”

_“That’s perfect. 3:00?”_

“Yes. See you then.”

Milah ended up being Emma’s savior. She had a vintage piece in the shop that fit almost perfectly, only needing minimal alterations.The dress began with a v-neck, adorned with delicate lace, which flowed into a long, pleated tulle skirt layered over a silky soft under-dress. The shape was loose, hugging her hips and then flowing out, as opposed to the full-skirted princess dresses Emma abhorred. The sleeveless design was perfect for her outdoor, summer evening wedding. She felt incredible as she stood in front of the mirror.

She stepped out of the dressing room and met Milah’s gaze. “What do you think?”

Milah grinned back at her. “Dear Killy won’t know what hit him.”

Emma reached for the other woman, taking her hands. “Thank you. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

“I’m just glad I had something that worked. Does this mean I’m invited to the wedding now?” She winked at Emma.

“You want to come?” Emma asked, dumbfounded.

“Of course I do!”

“Well, yes, of course you can come!” she said with a nervous laugh. “I just didn’t want to hurt your feelings. I know you say not to, but I’m not sure I’ll ever be a hundred percent okay with this situation. It still feels weird sometimes.”

“I know, but no matter our past, I want to be there to support you and Killy. And to see my grandson in a tuxedo.” She smiled.

“Oh! He’s super adorable! I’ll give you a preview right now. I just had to take a picture when he got fitted for it.” Emma started to run back to the dressing room to grab her phone, but tripped over the too long skirt.

Milah laughed in reply. “Why don’t I help you out of that first, and then you can show me? And I’ll make sure we fix the length before the wedding.”

* * *

The day arrived. Although they’d been married for two months, Killian still felt nervous the morning of his wedding. Mary Margaret had insisted they stick to tradition, and thus Emma had spent the night at the Inn. Henry slept over at Roland’s, which left the house unnaturally quiet when Killian awoke. He was ready for the day to be over so he could return to the life he’d come to love with his wife and son.

He’d taken to calling Henry his son not long after he moved in with the Swans. He’d said it accidentally one day, and bit his tongue after the outburst, afraid of Emma’s reaction. To his surprise, she flashed him a large smile as her eyes shimmered with tears. Despite her grin, he worried for his love and had immediately swooped in to pull her into his arms and ask what was wrong. She dabbed her eyes and took some deep breaths as she held onto his shirt.

“I’m just so happy. Henry has more family than he’ll know what to do with. It’s all I could ask for my son. No,” she corrected herself, “our son.”

Her words made Killian tear up, and he brought his mouth down to hers for a passionate kiss to celebrate the life they had made. And now, several months later, he stood on the precipice of the next stage of that life and couldn’t wait for more.

After he drank his coffee and showered, the doorbell rang, heralding Liam’s arrival. His brother had taken him out the night before, but the outing had been sedate and he’d arrived back home by 10:00pm. “I’m not a bachelor, so I don’t need a bachelor party,” he’d explained to his slightly disappointed elder sibling.

Once Liam arrived, the day turned busy as they finished their last preparations for the ceremony that evening. They arrived at the Inn at 2:00 in the afternoon. Killian was forced to wait in the car while Liam went in and made sure Emma was nowhere in sight. After settling in his appointed room and dressing in his tuxedo, they took a staggering number of pictures, including one where he and Emma stood with their backs to opposite sides of a door while they held hands without seeing one another. Killian was at the end of his rope, ready to see his wife.

Once the pictures were over, he returned to the room he’d been assigned and paced the floor while he waited for his cue to go outside and meet his bride at the end of the aisle. Liam convinced him to take a shot of rum, to calm his nerves. Henry wandered in, looking incredibly dapper in his small tuxedo and seeming much older than his five ( _“almost six!”_  Henry had reminded him) years.

Finally the time came, and he stood at the end of the aisle underneath the large branches of an ancient White Oak. Small white lights had been strung up in the branches, giving an ethereal glow to the setting. Three rows of chairs stood before him. They’d opted for a small number of attendees, preferring an intimate gathering. He saw Milah, Rob, Regina, and Roland, Mu and Aurora, some of his colleagues from work, and Tink ( _Tina,_  he corrected himself) in the audience.

He heard music start up, and saw Ruby standing at the door to the Carriage House at the back of the inn, where Emma had been preparing for the ceremony. Ruby waved to someone inside, and Liam emerged, wearing a self-satisfied grin. He walked down the lined path toward his brother, but paused briefly and gave an almost imperceptible wink to Milah. Killian filed that tidbit away to investigate more at a later time.

Mary Margaret followed, carrying her now ten-month old daughter Ava, who was dressed in a frothy pink concoction of a dress and holding a small silver bell in her hand. With encouragement from her mother, the toddler rang the bell, but the delicate tones were a bit rattling due to the frantic pace set by the girl. Still, she was so adorable that no one seemed to mind.

Once Mary Margaret was settled in the spot next to where Emma would stand, she handed the babe to Aurora, who was just starting to show from her own pregnancy. Aurora and Mu took a moment to fawn over the little girl before turning their attention back to the Carriage House.

The music changed, and Killian strained his eyes to see Emma. She finally emerged from the door, being escorted by David. She was a vision, her hair falling around her bare shoulders in loose ringlets, adorned with a crown of flowers, and wearing a delicate white gown that made her look like an angel come down from the heavens. Seeing her took Killian’s breath away. The other surroundings faded and all he could see was Emma as she slowly drew closer. Finally, his love was near him. He barely noticed that Dave kissed her on the cheek before placing her hand in Killian’s and patting the other man on the shoulder. Killian was dumbstruck. He could not believe the golden beauty before him had agreed to be his wife.

“Killian,” she whispered as she positioned her body to face the officiant and indicated he should do the same.

He caught on and blushed fiercely before turning to face the same direction.

The ceremony continued on with only a few more hitches, such as when Killian rushed to say “I do” before the officiant had even finished listing the vows, which drew a laugh from the attendees. Before he knew it, the official part was over, and they could move on to the true celebration. When he was told he could kiss his bride, Killian bent her back deeply and captured her lips in a fiery embrace which left them both panting for air. The crowd erupted into cheers. Ruby directed everyone to the parlor for cocktails while her staff rearranged the area underneath the oak with tables for the dinner. The wedding party hung back to get the pictures they did not take earlier, when Killian was forbidden to see Emma.

Once the reception started, they did all the traditional things: a dance, candid photos with their guests, and cutting the cake. Everything was beautiful, at least in the pictures, but Killian had trouble remembering any of it. He only had impressions of that night: his beautiful bride gracing him with her smiles; her hands on his shoulders while his arms encircled her waist and they twirled around the dance floor; stealing kisses at their table when they thought no one was looking.

Only two things from that night stuck out in strong relief. The first was when he stepped inside the Inn to use the facilities. As he rounded a corner, he caught his brother in a passionate embrace with a dark-haired woman. Blinking through the haze, Killian realized that the woman in question was Milah. They did not notice Killian, and he chose to take a different route to his destination as to not disturb them. He was not surprised when, three months later, Milah announced that she and Liam were dating. Nor when Liam announced he was moving to the states. Killian was thrilled to see how happy Milah was. Her inner light shone brilliantly. She was happy and fulfilled in a way he’d never seen before.

The other memory from his wedding that Killian will never forget is when he and Emma sat at their table and exchanged gifts. Killian had custom-ordered a Swan necklace for Emma, to replace the pendant she’d worn as a reminder of the pain Neal put her through. The new pendant was adorned with blue and green gemstones, specifically picked to match the color of his and his wife’s eyes. Emma had teared up as he explained to her that he hoped she would wear this necklace as a reminder that she had someone who would love and cherish her for the rest of their days. She’d kissed him sweetly after he fastened the clasp behind her neck.

Emma carefully wiped her eyes and handed Killian his gift, a small, square box. It felt heavy for its size. He opened it to find a small picture frame. The frame was high-quality, made of silver, but what took his breath away was the picture the frame held. Rather, not a picture, but a sonogram. The bottom of the frame was engraved.  _Baby Jones, February 2019_.

His vision once more clouded with tears as he looked up at Emma.

“Truly?” he asked, blinking back the drops that blurred his vision.

“Yes,” she replied, releasing a nervous giggle.

He raised a brow and looked at his wife. “Um… don’t take this the wrong way, love, but… how? You’re still on birth control.”

She flushed and looked down. “I missed about a week’s worth of pills around the time of the move.”

“And the babe is alright?”

“Healthy as a horse.” She smiled. “A little seahorse, I guess. It kind of looks like one in the picture. Don’t you think?” She looked up and caught his shocked stare. A shadow cast over her face and she looked down once more. “Are you… are you okay? I thought you’d be happy about this.”

Killian dropped the frame to the table and took her face in his hands, kissing her soundly. As he pulled away, he rested his forehead against hers and nuzzled her nose. “I am happy, Emma. So happy. I’m sorry I made you doubt that, even for a minute. I just couldn’t believe today could get any more wonderful. Thank you. You have given me everything I could ever ask for. I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” she whispered in reply.

They kissed once more, before a sleepy Henry walked over and crawled into Killian’s lap, not once saying a word. Killian held his son close and put his free arm around his wife. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, sighing deeply. Killian returned the sentiment. He’d never been happier.

FIN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ten months ago, I was explaining the crazy phenomenon that is the Charming family tree to my husband. When I got to the part about how Killian's former lover was Henry's grandmother on his dad's side, I started to think about how that dynamic would look in a modern setting, and thus this story was born. I decided pretty quickly that I wanted to give Milah some more attention, although this is a Captain Swan story through and through. I've always liked Milah and thought she got a raw deal on the show (especially her reappearance during the Underworld arc). I also thought it might be nice to delve into the relationship between Emma, Neal, and Killian a bit more. Neal was a jerk on the show, but he really didn't get a chance for any character growth. 
> 
> I hope I have done justice to these two goals, along with my wish to show a modern-setting CS story. Killian here is definitely more Lieutenant Jones and less Captain Hook. But he never lost Liam or Milah (at least, not the way he did in canon) and this is how I imagine he would have been had he been able to continue on as Lt. Jones. At his core, Killian wanted nothing more than to share his love with another. Losing Milah the way he did turned him into a villian, but as soon as he had something else to live for, he made a hard 180 and became one of my favorite television characters ever.
> 
> Thank you for reading this story and coming along this journey with me. If you've enjoyed it, I'd love to hear a comment from you. We fanfic authors LIVE for comments. They always brighten my day. Thanks for your time, and I'll see you again when I post my CSSNS story!

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed the story, please consider leaving me a comment. I'd love to hear from you!


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